Hyundai rolls out DAL-e robot for testing in Songpa

A robot will be tested at a Hyundai Motor dealership in Songpa District in southern Seoul for a month and could be rolled out at other Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors locations if successful.

Hyundai Motor Group's new robot named DAL-e. [HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP]

A robot will be tested at a Hyundai Motor dealership in Songpa District in southern Seoul for a month and could be rolled out at other Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors locations if successful.

The four-wheeled, 1.13-meter DAL-e is about a head taller than R2D2 and seems to have been designed with cute in mind.

Developed at Hyundai Motors' Robotics Lab, it is able to lock in on faces, communicate and move around using self-driving technology. It can also make facial expressions, such as smiling and blinking, and can introduce itself.

DAL-e is an abbreviation of "Drive you, assist you, link with you — experience," the carmaker says.

DAL-e will say "hello" to customers, brief them about interesting models and also escort the customers around the store. It can suggest wearing a mask if it recognizes that the customer is not.

“Utilizing DAL-e, Hyundai Motor Group plans to cater to customers who prefer non face-to-face services,” the carmaker said in a release.

“Especially when there are a lot of visitors at dealerships such as during the weekend, DAL-e will share the role of the dealership staff to offer more stable service.”

DAL-e will learn based on experiences on site.

“DAL-e as a next-generation service robot platform will act as a friendly messenger to the customers which can support customer service regardless of time,” Hyun Dong-jin, head of Robotics Lab said.

Hyundai Motor Group's new artificial intelligence robot named DAL-e. [HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP]

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]