xDM Platform, AMBIDEX Robot Arm and AROUND G Service Robot Reveal the Future of Advanced Robotics, Location-based Information and HD Mapping

NAVER LABS, an R&D subsidiary of NAVER Corporation based in South Korea, is drawing large CES crowds to its first North American demonstrations of AROUND G, an autonomous guide robot, and AMBIDEX, a next-generation robotic arm, and advanced autonomous driving technologies at its CES Tech East Booth: LVCC, Central Plaza - CP-14. Demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the CES show from January 8-11.

"The AMBIDEX robot arm is a potential game-changer," said one booth visitor. "It's the lightest and most agile robotic arm I've ever seen, and the idea that you can control it via a 5G network from anywhere in the world is like science fiction made real."

NAVER's overriding philosophy is Ambient Intelligence, which is the delivery of on-demand information and services to people at any time and location based on context. For the past five years, NAVER LABS has been developing innovative AI-based technologies for Ambient Intelligence such as high definition (HD) mapping, localization, robotics and navigation with high-precision spatial data. NAVER plans to leverage these to drive the evolution of technologies.

AMBIDEX is a robot arm marked by innovative cable-driven mechanisms that make any interaction with humans safe, while traditional robot arms can damage human bodies and collaborative robots may be slow. At just 5.73 pounds, AMBIDEX weighs less than the average adult arm. It can be operated at a maximum speed of 5 m/s and is capable of carrying up to 6.61 pounds. In addition to these physical characteristics, AMBIDEX can support high-speed, wireless, real-time control from remote locations using the low latency and high throughput of 5G networks. This is called "5G Brainless Robot" control technology , meaning AMBIDEX is controlled remotely over a 5G wireless link using a test device powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X50 modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. In the CES demo, AMBIDEX will demonstrate this.

AROUND G is an autonomous guide robot that provides guidance in large indoor spaces such as shopping malls, airports and hotels, and offers intuitive information through AR navigation. Its high-precision indoor maps, visual and sensor localization are all serviced over NAVER LABS' xDM platform to provide accurate location sensing and to guide users to their destination via the best route.

Also in its CES booth, NAVER is showcasing core technologies for enhanced driving and autonomous driving such as its Hybrid HD Mapping, which combines aerial images and mobile mapping and extract information from road surfaces. The spacious, indoor/outdoor booth space features an autonomous vehicle that utilizes NAVER LABS' hybrid HD mapping system, R1. In addition, NAVER LABS' ADAS (Advanced Driver's Assistance Systems) Cam integrates a deep learning algorithm and issues warnings with only one camera, and 3D AR HUD AHEAD provides comfortable navigation when driving by projecting traffic information as if it appears on the road ahead rather than inside the windshield.

"Our mission at NAVER is to transform peoples' lives through advanced robotics, vision and AI technologies," said Seongsook Han, CEO of NAVER. "We are proud to be demonstrating our products at CES."

About NAVER Corporation

NAVER Corporation is the largest internet company in South Korea with a 73 percent market share. Since its founding in 1999, NAVER has pursued a mission of connecting people and information that enriches lives. NAVER provides a range of information and communications services (including LINE, SNOW, BAND, and PAPAGO) throughout Asia and is now developing advanced applications through its subsidiary NAVER LABS. NAVER is shaping an interconnected world where people meet one another, networks encounter networks and where today intertwines with tomorrow. In 2018, NAVER was ranked as the world's ninth most innovative company by Forbes and was listed sixth on Fortune's Future 50 company list.

About NAVER LABS

NAVER LABS Corp. is NAVER's R&D subsidiary, developing future technologies in areas such as autonomous driving, robotics and artificial intelligence with the goal of achieving Ambient Intelligence. It first began as an R&D division within NAVER Corporation in 2013, and was officially established in Pangyo, South Korea in January 2017. The company expanded into Europe in 2017 with the acquisition of the Xerox Research Centre Europe in Grenoble, France.