HL D&I Halla demonstrates autonomous robot for golf-course turf repair

[Financial News] A robot identifying and filling in divots in golf course turf instead of a person was demonstrated to golf course operators.
According to HL D&I Halla on the 30th, the company co-hosted an “Autonomous Divot Repair Robot Field Demonstration” with X-Up on the 27th at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Songdo International City, Incheon. About 40 representatives of major golf courses in South Korea and golf course operations officials visited the site to assess the robot’s performance and its applicability on actual courses.
During the demonstration, the robot moved autonomously along the cart paths, scanning the condition of the course. It detected 21 divots, identified 11 that needed repair, and completed the repairs. It also showed how it could detect an obstacle in its path and plot a new route around it. The demonstration was an opportunity to assess whether the robot could be deployed in an actual golf course environment.
The robot is a course-maintenance machine that independently traverses the course, detects divots, and repairs them. Using AI-based visual recognition, it determines which spots need repair, then completes the entire process in one go, from filling them with repair material to smoothing and tamping down the surface.
HL D&I Halla and X-Up plan to fine-tune the robot’s performance and operational efficiency based on feedback received from golf course representatives that day. They also plan to integrate HL D&I Halla’s drone surveying and data analysis technologies to continue advancing golf course management technology.

[email protected] Jeong Gyeong-su Reporter