For the pilot service, Hyundai has obtained a temporary autonomous driving operation permit from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of Korea. It will collaborate with Jin Mobility, a Korean startup operating the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered car-hailing mobility platform "i.M". Jin Mobility will be in charge of operating the two Ioniq 5 RoboRide units on its i.M application. Hyundai also plans to expand the pilot service, while further developing autonomous driving technology with consideration for various conditions, such as driving stability.
Through this pilot, Hyundai expects to collect valuable autonomous driving data and plans to further develop the level 4 autonomous driving technology to navigate safely and flexibly in complicated urban environments.
To prepare for such a complicated driving environment, Hyundai has also worked with Seoul Metropolitan Government to establish a system that can connect traffic signals with autonomous vehicles. It has also gathered copious driving data since 2019 by testing autonomous driving in Gangnam area.
In addition, Hyundai will provide an in-house developed remote vehicle assist system to ensure safety. The system monitors autonomous driving status, vehicle and route, and supports the trip with remote assist functions, such as changing the lane under circumstances where autonomous driving is not feasible. Based on the level 4 autonomous driving technology, a RoboRide vehicle will perceive, make decisions, and control its own driving status, while its safety driver will only intervene under limited conditions.
The RoboRide pilot service will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Monday to Friday, to minimize any possible inconveniences on the road. Up to three passengers can be on a ride, whereas a safety driver will be in the vehicle to respond to any emergencies. Hyundai plans to operate an initial demonstration service for internally selected personnel, and then expand the pilot service targets to general customers in the future.
