KB News Desk
LG Electronics launched a subscription service for its CLOi robots equipped with enhanced AI features as part of efforts to expand its presence in the business-to-business (B2B) market, the company said Monday.
LG is launching its Robot as a Service (RaaS) subscription service this month, featuring its CLOi ServeBot. This service robot can serve food in restaurants and assist with deliveries in hospitals and hotels.
Through the CLOi robot subscription service, LG expects B2B clients to be able to address the high initial purchase costs and the burden of product management and inspection that they had to consider when introducing service robots.
“Throughout the contract period, LG will provide professional management and services every six months through the Care Solution Manager service,” the company said. “This includes checking the product status of automatic detection systems, distance detection sensors and motors; regularly inspecting power switches, charging terminals, robot wheel operation and exterior damage; and cleaning the exterior.”
The CLOi ServeBot applies independent suspension to its six wheels to prevent liquid spills caused by sudden stops, starts or vibrations, allowing it to navigate uneven store floors stably while carrying food or liquids.
Moreover, LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, sensors and 3D cameras of the robots scan the space to avoid obstacles, and they can carry items weighing up to 40 kilograms, the company added.
In addition to the CLOi ServeBot, LG also started a subscription service for the CLOi TuiiBot cooking robot developed by its company-in-company startup.
“The CLOi TuiiBot is a robot for fried dishes that automatically moves trays and cooks,” the company said. “It not only maintains consistent taste based on pre-entered recipes but also prevents safety accidents during the cooking procedure as it has an integrated hood and safety fence.”
LG said the subscription contract period for their robots is three years, with monthly subscription fees of 660,000 won ($478) for the CLOi ServeBot and 1.4 million won for the CLOi TuiiBot.
LG plans to continuously expand its robot subscription services for B2B customers to capitalize on the growing robot market. According to the Korea Association of Robot Industry, the market size of the country’s service robot market was at around 1 trillion won in 2022, up about 10 percent from the previous year.
The home appliance maker is focusing on expanding its presence in the subscription market. With the robot subscription service, the company’s total number of subscription service products reaches 22, including water purifiers, refrigerators, washing machines, TVs and laptops.
