Autonomous driving startup 42dot plans Level 4 self-driving in Seoul

42dot, a South Korea-based autonomous driving startup, plans to launch a Level 4 self-driving service in some areas of Seoul next year.

The company said on Dec. 21 that it has received a temporary permit from the transport ministry to operate Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which run without human intervention.

42dot plans to launch the service in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. Initially, its vehicles will be minimally manned to ensure ultimate safety. A company official said it is in talks with the Seoul city government for the launch of a charged service.

Unlike other self-driving cars, which use expensive LiDAR equipment, 42dot will use cameras and radars for autonomous navigation. The company said it has also developed its own smaller high-definition navigation map, the maintenance of which costs a tenth that of rival products.

LiDAR sensors detect and track vehicles, pedestrians and other obstructions to help autonomous vehicles safely navigate at various speeds.

42dot was established in March 2019 by Chief Executive Song Chang-hyeon, who previously worked at Naver Corp. as its chief technology officer.

42dot has attracted a total of 49 billion won ($44 million) in investment from the Hyundai Motor Group for the development of self-driving technology.

“We will focus our resources on advancing the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles,” said CEO Song.

Write to Hanjong Choi at onebell@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.