Kakao Mobility said on the 15th that, together with its subsidiary KM Park and HL Robotics, it launched Korea's first robot valet service for general users. It implemented a parking service anyone can use by combining advanced parking robot technology with Kakao Mobility's platform operation capabilities.
The service is operated in the underground parking lot of the Chungbuk Content Enterprise Support Center in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, with support from the North Chungcheong Provincial Government and the Chungbuk Institute of Science and Technology Innovation. Through the robotic parking facilities installed in the parking lot, users park their cars in a designated area and then apply for entry at a kiosk. After that, HL Robotics' parking robot "Parkie" lifts the vehicle and moves it to a parking space.
Users can easily request vehicle retrieval with a smartphone. If they request retrieval via the link in the KakaoTalk notification received at entry, "Parkie" collects the vehicle and moves it toward the exit. When the vehicle is ready, another notification is sent, and the user can confirm at the kiosk and immediately exit.
In this project, Kakao Mobility took on the role of implementing the parking robot as an actual service based on its platform capabilities. Currently, parking robots are classified under the current law as "mechanical parking lot" facilities, requiring a separate robot valet zone, but if institutional improvements are made in the future, the service is expected to expand.
A Kakao Mobility official said, "In the process of implementing parking robots as a service that can actually be used, Kakao Mobility's platform operation capabilities were actively utilized," and added, "We will continue to advance so that various future technologies in mobility can be delivered conveniently to actual users."
Meanwhile, HL Robotics' autonomous driving parking robot "Parkie" operates by entering under the vehicle, lifting the body, and transporting it to the parking position, and with autonomous driving-based precise control technology, it won the "Best of Innovation" award at CES 2024 and FIX 2025.