Gyeonggi Province to Test Remote-Operated Vehicle Delivery and Retrieval Service in Pangyo from Late September
Gyeonggi Province will for the first time in South Korea conduct a pilot test of a service that remotely delivers shared vehicles to customers' desired locations and retrieves them after use.
The province announced on the 26th that it will begin pilot testing of the 'urban shared vehicle delivery and retrieval remote operation service' from late September in the Pangyo Techno Valley 1st and 2nd areas and surrounding Pangyo Station. The province will verify technological safety and service feasibility in an actual urban environment over three months through the end of December.
Remote operation is a technology in which a driver does not board the vehicle; instead, a remote operator at a separate station views real-time driving footage and operates the vehicle. Through existing 4G and 5G communication networks, steering, acceleration, and braking commands are sent to the vehicle, while the vehicle transmits driving footage and vehicle status information in real-time. Unlike fully autonomous driving, it has the advantage of utilizing existing communication networks and mass-produced vehicles, enabling faster service implementation at relatively lower costs.
This pilot project is being promoted through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Mobility Regulatory Sandbox, having received an exception for remote operation experimentation. Gyeonggi Province expects this pilot to develop remote operation from a simple vehicle control technology into a new mobility service. The province plans to verify potential applications in various private and public services, including shared vehicle delivery and retrieval, logistics, and transportation support for the mobility-impaired. In particular, even after the commercialization of fully autonomous driving, it is expected to be utilized as a complementary technology for remote support in emergencies and vehicle movement within restricted areas.
The service operates in the sequence of 'reservation and payment → remote delivery → user direct operation → remote retrieval.' When employees of companies in Pangyo Techno Valley reserve a vehicle through a dedicated app, a remote operator moves the vehicle to the designated location. Users then take possession of the vehicle, drive it themselves, and simply report its return at their destination.
Upon return report, the vehicle is retrieved to the depot through remote operation. Vehicles can be picked up and returned anywhere within Pangyo Techno Valley.
The province will conduct the pilot in two phases to sufficiently verify safety. During the beta service period from late September through October, a safety driver will be on board the vehicle, providing service to employees of companies in the Gyeonggi Business Growth Center. From November through December, the province plans to expand service to all employees of companies in the 2nd Pangyo Techno Valley, with the goal of operating without an onboard safety driver.
Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Provincial Council's Committee on Future Science and Cooperation plans to visit the Future Mobility Technology Center at Seoul National University's Siheung Campus on the 28th to directly demonstrate and inspect remote operation technology, and to confirm safety measures and pilot plans prior to project implementation.