Hyundai Motor Group conducted the first residential trial of parking robots in South Korea at Hillstate The Wave City in Siheung on October 29, 2026, operating within a smart city regulatory sandbox. The consortium of Hyundai Motor, Hyundai WIA and Hyundai Engineering & Construction deployed robots across more than 50 parking spaces at the apartment complex.
The robots managed overlapping parking and retrieval requests, cleared double-parked vehicles, and temporarily relocated cars before returning them to their owners. A resident calling for a car from an in-home wall panel received it at the pick-up area in approximately three minutes.
The system integrates barrier gates, wall panels and an AI-based vehicle inspection system into a single service. Hyundai's control software, now version 2.0, can direct up to 200 robots simultaneously. Public officials observed the trial, and Hyundai plans to collaborate with them on rule changes needed to expand the technology to transport hubs, shops and offices.
Jeong Ho-geun, Vice President of Hyundai Motor's Future Strategy Division, stated: "This trial is significant in confirming the potential of parking robot technology and as a process of applying robotics and mobility technology to real urban spaces. Going forward, we will make it possible for parking spaces to develop into smart city hubs connecting people, mobility, robots and urban infrastructure."