Robotics and artificial intelligence companies are accelerating technology demonstrations at large-scale apartment complexes in Korea, using them as strategic hubs to refine everyday services such as delivery and patrol while laying the groundwork for full commercialization.
According to industry sources on Monday, robot companies have been increasingly entering the apartment market. Robotis has been expanding operations of its autonomous robot "Gaemi" within residential complexes. From April to October last year, Gaemi handled approximately 4,000 tasks including pay-per-bag garbage collection and parcel delivery at an apartment complex in Guro-gu, Seoul. The robot also delivered about 1,000 packages at an apartment complex in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Robotis plans to expand the service to additional complexes.
Neubility has widened its commercialization scope within apartments, focusing on patrol and delivery services. Its autonomous robot patrol service aims to supplement blind spots in closed-circuit television surveillance. The company also introduced a Door-to-Door service that delivers food orders from delivery apps directly to residents' front doors. Neubility currently operates more than 300 robots across approximately 140 sites.
Home appliance companies are also accelerating their push into residential spaces with AI-based services. SK Intellix has established experience zones for its AI wellness platform "Namux" in community spaces of large apartment complexes in the Gangnam and Seocho areas. The strategy aims to build both awareness and demand by allowing residents to experience the service firsthand in common areas such as community centers.
Industry observers expect apartment complexes to become key channels for the spread of robot and AI services. Complexes enable companies to accumulate data through resident touchpoints and expand into delivery, security, healthcare and other services. In a survey conducted by Neubility from January to March among residents of apartments where its services are offered, satisfaction with patrol robot services scored 4.13 out of 5 points. The reorder rate for D2D food delivery services, an indicator of satisfaction, reached 80 percent.
"Recently, premium apartments have been adopting robot and AI services as part of infrastructure upgrades within complexes," an industry official said. "As resident response has been positive at complexes where services have been introduced, we will gradually expand related services as demand grows."
The residential space-based service strategy is expected to gain further momentum as the appliance market shifts from traditional product-focused sales to smart home solutions integrated with AI. Healthcare company Ceragem plans to establish urban senior living facilities featuring "AI Wellness Home" services by 2028.
"As the appliance market becomes saturated, companies that have reached the limits of simple product sales are diversifying their strategies," said Choi Cheol, a professor of consumer economics at Sookmyung Women's University. "The robot and AI service industry based on residential spaces will continue to expand."
