Lotte Hi-Mart to Introduce AI Wearable Robots to Reduce the Burden of Appliance Delivery and Installation

Pilot Program for Exoskeleton Robots at Daegu Logistics Center

Reducing Physical Strain and Enhancing Safety for Heavy Appliance Handling

Advancing AI Technology Based on Operational Data

Participation in Government AI Commercialization Project

Lotte Hi-Mart is set to introduce AI-powered wearable robots to reduce the physical strain on workers during the delivery and installation of heavy home appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines. The company plans to collect operational data by having logistics workers directly wear exoskeleton robots in the field. This data will be used to advance AI control technology with the aim of eventual commercialization.

On the 29th, at the headquarters of FRT Robotics in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Shin Hyun-chae, Head of SCM at Lotte Hi-Mart (left), and Jang Jae-ho, CEO of FRT Robotics, took a commemorative photo after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the joint verification and commercialization of wearable robots. Provided by Lotte Hi-Mart.

Lotte Hi-Mart announced on the 30th that, on the 29th, it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the joint demonstration and commercialization of wearable robots with FRT Robotics, a specialized industrial wearable robotics company, at the headquarters of FRT Robotics in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Previously, the two companies had also been selected for the “AI Applied Product Rapid Commercialization Support Project (AX Sprint),” a project led jointly by 11 government ministries and overseen by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Under this agreement, Lotte Hi-Mart will conduct a pilot run of FRT Robotics’ AI-based exoskeleton wearable robots at its Daegu logistics center from the end of August this year through April next year. During the logistics, delivery, and installation processes for heavy appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, operational motion data will be collected. This data will then be used to further refine the AI control algorithm tailored for logistics environments involving home appliances.

FRT Robotics will use the results of this demonstration to validate the muscle assistance performance and safety, and will also pursue the development of AI-based work motion analysis technology and an integrated safety system.

Lotte Hi-Mart expects that, given the physical demands of large appliance installation logistics, the wearable robots will help improve both work efficiency and safety. Based on the results of this demonstration, the company is also considering expanding the application of wearable robots to other logistics centers.

Shin Hyun-chae, Head of SCM Division at Lotte Hi-Mart, stated, “We expect that the introduction of wearable robots will help reduce workers’ physical strain and fatigue, and enable us to build a safer logistics environment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.