HL Robotics: “Demand is concentrated in urban areas—regulations must ease before China catches up”
Government: “We’ll complement regulations alongside AI infrastructure and pilot testing expansion.”
HL Robotics Team Leader Jai-ho Heo presents at the symposium “The Future and Reality of Autonomous Driving Services” held on the 22nd at EXCO Daegu.
Experts point out that flexible regulatory reform is essential for Korea to secure leadership in parking robot commercialization. While Korea’s dense urban structure provides a strong opportunity to lead the market, a conservative regulatory environment is slowing the pace of adoption. The government plans to expand pilot programs for public services and transition to city-level demonstration systems to strengthen the market foundation.
At the symposium “The Future and Reality of Autonomous Driving Services” hosted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association on the 22nd at EXCO Daegu, HL Robotics’ team leader Jae-ho Heo said, “There aren’t many countries that truly need parking robots. Countries with large land areas like the U.S. have little demand, but Korea, Europe, and the Middle East—where parking shortages are serious—have strong demand and a chance to take the lead.”
HL Robotics, a global robotics solution company under the HL Group, is promoting the commercialization of PARKIE, a fully autonomous mobile robot (AMR). PARKIE is only 9 cm tall, allowing it to slide beneath any vehicle, and it can lift cars weighing up to 3 tons—about 1 ton heavier than a large SUV such as the Palisade.
Drivers no longer need to park themselves, and parking space efficiency increases by about 30%. It also eliminates issues such as door-ding and double parking. However, under current parking facility regulations, parking robots are still classified as “mechanical parking systems,” creating a legal barrier to commercialization.
Heo emphasized, “If we take an overly cautious approach, innovation will stop. As long as safety risks are manageable, we need a more flexible regulatory structure where companies take responsibility.”
HL Robotics’ fully autonomous parking robot PARKIE, showcased at “FIX 2025,” which opened on the 22nd at EXCO Daegu.
He also raised concerns about potential competition from China. “Once China decides the technology is ready, it will invest heavily,” Heo noted. “Since China hasn’t moved on a full scale yet, now is the right time for Korea to establish commercialization references.”
In response, government officials stated that they are working to support the commercialization of autonomous technologies, including parking robots, through expanded public-sector pilot projects and regulatory reform.
During the panel discussion, Seong-hoon Lee, Deputy Director at the Autonomous Driving Policy Division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “To create an open testing environment, AI and GPU infrastructure development must go hand in hand with social acceptance. We plan to announce city-level pilot testing measures soon.”
HL Robotics: “Demand is concentrated in urban areas—regulations must ease before China catches up”
Government: “We’ll complement regulations alongside AI infrastructure and pilot testing expansion.”
Experts point out that flexible regulatory reform is essential for Korea to secure leadership in parking robot commercialization. While Korea’s dense urban structure provides a strong opportunity to lead the market, a conservative regulatory environment is slowing the pace of adoption. The government plans to expand pilot programs for public services and transition to city-level demonstration systems to strengthen the market foundation.
At the symposium “The Future and Reality of Autonomous Driving Services” hosted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association on the 22nd at EXCO Daegu, HL Robotics’ team leader Jae-ho Heo said, “There aren’t many countries that truly need parking robots. Countries with large land areas like the U.S. have little demand, but Korea, Europe, and the Middle East—where parking shortages are serious—have strong demand and a chance to take the lead.”
HL Robotics, a global robotics solution company under the HL Group, is promoting the commercialization of PARKIE, a fully autonomous mobile robot (AMR). PARKIE is only 9 cm tall, allowing it to slide beneath any vehicle, and it can lift cars weighing up to 3 tons—about 1 ton heavier than a large SUV such as the Palisade.
Drivers no longer need to park themselves, and parking space efficiency increases by about 30%. It also eliminates issues such as door-ding and double parking. However, under current parking facility regulations, parking robots are still classified as “mechanical parking systems,” creating a legal barrier to commercialization.
Heo emphasized, “If we take an overly cautious approach, innovation will stop. As long as safety risks are manageable, we need a more flexible regulatory structure where companies take responsibility.”
HL Robotics’ fully autonomous parking robot PARKIE, showcased at “FIX 2025,” which opened on the 22nd at EXCO Daegu.
He also raised concerns about potential competition from China. “Once China decides the technology is ready, it will invest heavily,” Heo noted. “Since China hasn’t moved on a full scale yet, now is the right time for Korea to establish commercialization references.”
In response, government officials stated that they are working to support the commercialization of autonomous technologies, including parking robots, through expanded public-sector pilot projects and regulatory reform.
During the panel discussion, Seong-hoon Lee, Deputy Director at the Autonomous Driving Policy Division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “To create an open testing environment, AI and GPU infrastructure development must go hand in hand with social acceptance. We plan to announce city-level pilot testing measures soon.”