Lotte Innovate said on the 24th that it is operating the Autonomous Driving shuttle "MUVU" in major tourist destinations such as Gangneung, Jeju, and Gyeongju, advancing its Autonomous Driving technology and control and operations capabilities.
MUVU is a type B Autonomous Driving vehicle with no driver's seat. After receiving Korea's first temporary operation permit in 2021, it has run in places including Gangneung, Gyeongju, Jeju, Suncheon, Sejong, and Naepo New Town. To date, it has recorded a cumulative driving distance of about 100,000 km and about 40,000 cumulative passengers.
The vehicle uses technology that fuses data from multiple sensors, including LiDAR and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), to perceive its surroundings. Based on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, vehicles and road infrastructure exchange information in real time. Lotte Innovate operates the service by linking vehicle operation and control, reservations, and safety management systems.
In Gangneung, the host city of the 2026 Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress, Autonomous Driving shuttles have been in operation since 2022. The route connects major tourist spots including Gangmun Beach, the Green City Experience Center, and the Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park. A survey of users last year showed a 91.5% satisfaction rate.
In Jeju, after a pilot introduction of Autonomous Driving shuttles around Seongsan Ilchulbong in September last year, the service shifted to paid regular operation on the 1st of this month. The route connects Seongsan Ilchulbong, Gwangchigi Beach, and Phoenix Island, and includes a coastal road section. It also provides a service that offers tourist information based on the vehicle's real-time location.
In Gyeongju, following 2024, a tourism-type Autonomous Driving service is also being operated this year in the Bomun Tourist Complex. On Fridays and weekends, an immersive tourism Virtual Reality (VR) experience space has been set up in the parking lot of the Gyeongju HICO.
A Lotte Innovate official said, "We have independently implemented the core technologies of Autonomous Driving shuttles, from software to hardware," adding, "We will convert pilot services into commercial services, while developing differentiated service models and expanding the areas of operation."