LG Uplus has signed a business agreement with the autonomous driving startup RideFlux to enhance the development of unmanned autonomous driving technology based on AI.
The signing ceremony took place at the RideFlux headquarters in Jeju Island, attended by key executives including Jeon Young-seo, Head of Corporate Service Development Lab at LG Uplus, and Park Joong-hee, CEO of RideFlux.
RideFlux is a company that develops essential software acting as the “brain” for autonomous driving. Following the launch of Korea’s first free-route autonomous driving service in 2021, it has also performed the longest-distance autonomous transport service connecting Jeju Airport to the Jungmun Tourist Complex.
In November last year, the company successfully demonstrated Level 4 autonomy, where the vehicle operates entirely without driver intervention in emergencies, proving its technological prowess. Companies like Google’s Waymo and GM’s Cruise are among those globally that have successfully demonstrated Level 4 autonomous driving.
The two companies plan to collaborate on this business agreement to develop AI-based systems applicable to autonomous driving, including ▲ remote monitoring ▲ remote driving ▲ dedicated 5G communication for autonomous driving ▲ quantum security, thus contributing to building a safer and advanced unmanned autonomous driving technology.
In the future, LG Uplus intends to increase vehicle safety and traffic system efficiency by utilizing dedicated 5G communication technology and remote monitoring so that unmanned vehicles can arrive at their destinations and park independently in the Level 4 autonomous driving market.
Initially, LG Uplus aims to focus on developing an ‘AI autonomous driving urban environment management’ service specialized for unmanned autonomous driving based on the vast autonomous driving data and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology possessed by RideFlux.
They will apply unmanned autonomous driving technology to special-purpose vehicles for street cleaning, fine dust management, and disinfection, allowing for real-time management of vehicle operations, dispatching, and routing through monitoring services.
AI technology will be actively utilized in the autonomous driving solution as well. The AI will monitor road conditions in real-time to adjust cleaning intensity and can instantly assess emergency situations, providing services that can prevent accidents through remote control.
Alongside this, both companies will jointly develop and demonstrate cargo autonomous driving technology and explore strategic business cooperation with LG Uplus’ digital transformation (DX) platform “Cargoitgo” for freight transportation. They have also decided to collaborate across various areas, sharing technology and expertise in 5G-based low-latency communication, AI, and autonomous driving to secure a leading position in the next-generation autonomous driving market.
Jeon Young-seo, head of LG Uplus’s Corporate Service Development Lab, stated, “I am happy that this business agreement has created an opportunity to accelerate the era of AI-based unmanned autonomous driving,” adding, “Through close cooperation with RideFlux, we plan to continuously introduce innovative customer experience services utilizing AI in the autonomous driving ecosystem.”
Park Joong-hee, CEO of RideFlux, expressed, “We expect that the synergy between RideFlux’s autonomous driving technology and LG Uplus’s communication and AI capabilities will positively impact the development of the domestic autonomous driving market,” noting the commitment to collaborate with LG Uplus in various areas of autonomous driving to provide customers with safe and comfortable mobility experiences.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr