Company signs MOU with Korea Transportation Safety Authority to address evolving traffic environment in housing complexes

Kim Jae-young (right), director of the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute, and Min Seung-gi, head of the mobility division at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, pose for a photo after signing an MOU at the Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Hyundai E&C]
Kim Jae-young (right), director of the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute, and Min Seung-gi, head of the mobility division at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, pose for a photo after signing an MOU at the Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Hyundai E&C]

Hyundai Engineering & Construction is moving to develop safety technologies and design and operational standards for future mobility systems — including demand-responsive transit, delivery and service robots, and personal mobility devices — as their adoption in apartment complexes accelerates. The company views residential complexes as lifestyle platforms integrating various transportation and last-mile logistics services, and aims to improve pedestrian safety and mobility convenience for residents.

Hyundai E&C signed an MOU with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority on Monday at the Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, to cooperate on safety technology demonstration for future mobility in apartment complexes. The signing was attended by Kim Jae-young, director of the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute — the integrated research and development organization of Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Engineering — along with Song Myeong-jun, head of the infrastructure and urban research lab, and Min Seung-gi, head of the mobility division at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

The agreement was drawn up in response to the rapid introduction of diverse transportation modes and services in apartment complexes. The two organizations plan to examine pedestrian safety issues that may arise as future mobility spreads and to develop complex design and operational technologies suited to the changing traffic environment.

Specific plans include joint research to improve the safety of future mobility within apartment complexes and identifying traffic safety improvements stemming from the introduction of new transportation modes. The two sides will also explore ways to improve road conditions within complexes using next-generation software-defined road technology, which controls and manages road infrastructure through software and links various transportation modes with real-time data.

The research will not be limited to any single mode of transportation. It will cover a range of mobility options likely to be used in residential complexes, including demand-responsive transit, delivery and service robots, and personal mobility devices.

The two organizations plan to comprehensively analyze the elements that make up actual residential environments — including roads and pedestrian routes within complexes, pick-up, drop-off and waiting areas, and operating systems for each mode of transportation — and verify the feasibility of applying the technologies through on-site demonstrations.

Based on the research findings, Hyundai E&C intends to build a pedestrian-centered traffic system within complexes and improve road and pedestrian route design using data on mobility operations and space usage. The company also plans to establish design and operational standards that reflect the characteristics of each transportation mode from the planning and design stages of apartment projects, and to develop a mobility infrastructure model connecting future residential complexes with smart cities.

"As diverse mobility services are introduced into residential complexes, the importance of spatial planning and operational systems that allow pedestrians and transportation modes to coexist safely is growing," a Hyundai E&C official said. "Through joint research and demonstration, we will build a safe and efficient mobility environment and systematize design and operational standards for apartment complexes that incorporate future mobility."

Meanwhile, Hyundai E&C had previously announced plans to introduce a residents-only demand-responsive transit service by integrating the reconstruction projects in zones 2, 3 and 5 of Apgujeong in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, into a single living district.


hss@heraldcorp.com