– Korea’s First Demonstration of Contactless Delivery, in Collaboration with 40kg-Payload Drones and Autonomous Robots
– Nationwide Expansion Planned Starting with Jeju in 2026
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA, Administrator Taeseog Oh), in collaboration with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI, President Seungchan Bang), is developing a drone-robot collaborative doorstep delivery system. This integrated system features drones with a 40kg payload capacity, specialized delivery robots, and docking stations.
KASA is currently conducting an R&D project aimed at securing 100% operational reliability in various real-life environments to enable new unmanned delivery services. While conventional drone delivery systems cannot provide doorstep delivery, the drone-robot collaborative system makes such services possible.
< Project Overview >
ㆍProject Name: Development of Drone-Robot Cooperative Multimodal Delivery Technology for Heavy Urban Cargo in Urban Areas
ㆍProject Period: April 2023-December 2026
ㆍProject Description: Establishing a contactless urban logistics system for payloads up to 40kg through drone-robot interoperation, and conducting field demonstrations to commercialize doorstep delivery.
The project aims to establish and demonstrate a seamless cargo logistics system where a drone, carrying a 40kg payload, takes off from a logistics warehouse and flies autonomously to a designated landing zone. Upon landing, a collaborative robot takes over to complete the last-mile delivery directly to the customer’s doorstep.
As the inaugural phase of this initiative, KASA, in collaboration with ETRI and partner R&D firms, conducted a month-long field demonstration from March 26 to April 25, 2026. The pilot program took place in Geumneung Port and Biyangdo, Jeju, focusing on the delivery of daily necessities weighing up to 40kg.
During this demonstration, residents on Biyangdo Island placed orders via “Mukkebi”, Jeju’s public drone delivery app, and successfully received their goods at their doorsteps. To ensure operational reliability, the trials were performed under various conditions, including diverse weather patterns and nighttime operations.
< Jeju Demonstration Summary >
ㆍDemonstration Period: March 26-April 25, 2026 (Wednesday to Saturday, 14:00-20:00)
ㆍLogistics Hub: In front of the Drone Delivery Center at Geumneung Port
ㆍDelivery Points: 56 designated points on Biyangdo (including private residences and restaurant fronts)
ㆍDelivery Items: Daily necessities up to 40kg, convenience items, food deliveries, outbound shipments of local specialties
ㆍDemonstration Scenario: Packages are loaded onto a drone at the Drone Delivery Center (logistics hub) and flown to an open area near Biyangdo Port (docking station). After landing, the robot receives the package and autonomously delivers it to the customer’s doorstep
Upon completion of this demonstration, KASA plans to present an unmanned aviation business model and provide active support to integrate unmanned delivery services into everyday life.
Building on the lessons learned from the Jeju demonstration, KASA will address identified challenges and expand the scope of demonstrations to additional regions in the second half of 2026. KASA also expects that drone-robot collaborative delivery services will not only improve convenience for residents in underserved logistics areas, such as islands and mountainous regions, but also pave the way for future urban delivery applications.
KASA Administrator Taeseog Oh stated, “This demonstration, held in collaboration with local governments, showcases our ongoing efforts and achievements in fostering the drone and robot industries. By resolving critical hurdles for commercialization, this will serve as a catalyst to accelerate the realization of innovative unmanned logistics services.” He added, “We will provide unsparing support to ensure that domestic delivery services utilizing drones and robots are fully commercialized within the next five years.”