Naver, often dubbed the "Google of South Korea," unveils a visionary strategy encompassing AI, robotics, and autonomous driving. This article delves into Naver Labs' transformative projects and its mission to bring robots into everyday life, potentially replacing mobile phones.
Naver's headquarters, Naver 1784, serves as an innovation hub featuring 100 autonomous robots known as "Rookies." These robots seamlessly navigate the workspace, delivering parcels, coffee, and lunch to employees, all empowered by 5G connectivity.
Naver Labs, the company's research and development division, leverages Naver 1784 as a testing ground for these robots. A significant milestone is the integration of Rookies into the Gak Sejong data center, highlighting Naver's commitment to advancing automation.
Naver boasts a diverse array of subsidiaries, offering services spanning e-commerce, messaging, payments, digital comics, cloud computing, and the metaverse. Recently, the company entered the generative AI arena, signaling its intent to broaden its technological footprint.
Naver's overarching vision transcends conventional boundaries. It aspires to revolutionize industries by merging robotics, AI, and autonomous driving. The goal is to create platforms where robots play a central role, potentially supplanting mobile phones.
Naver Labs' research initiatives encompass various domains, including robotics, AI, digital twins, computer vision/augmented reality, and autonomous driving technology. These research efforts are aimed at enriching daily life and fostering innovation.
While many of Naver's long-term projects have yet to be commercialized, ongoing research continually enhances the performance of Naver's robots, particularly the Rookies. Additionally, Naver Labs offers Robot as a Service (RaaS) through the Naver Cloud platform.
Naver's ARC system, empowered by the Naver Cloud Platform, serves as the intelligence system for its robots. It grants Rookies the ability to see, recognize, and operate autonomously, reducing reliance on GPS. ARC enhances efficiency by optimizing routes and tasks.
ARC is not merely a control system; it acts as the "eye and brain" of the robots. It leverages cloud connectivity to reduce manufacturing costs and battery consumption, making robots more efficient and self-reliant.
Naver Labs Europe (NLE) and Naver Labs Korea (NLK) collaborate on various research endeavors. While their areas of focus may differ, both divisions work towards shared objectives, fostering a culture of knowledge exchange.
NLE specializes in fundamental AI research, addressing current and future AI challenges. Its research spans computer vision, decision-making, optimization, and human-robot interaction, with a focus on advancing AI technology for robotics.
Naver Labs' groundbreaking approach to merging AI, robotics, and autonomous technology offers a glimpse into the future. As the company strives to create robots that become indispensable in everyday life, its research and innovation hold the potential to reshape industries and redefine human-robot interactions.
