GS Caltex said Tuesday it has combined drones and self-driving robots to establish contact-free logistics platforms for islands and mountainous areas.

According to the South Korean refiner, it held a drone delivery test event at its gas station in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, to test the economic feasibility of the automated delivery service.

During the test, a customer living in a nearby island placed an order through a mobile app of GS25, a convenience store chain owned by GS Retail. Then, a drone parked at the gas station of GS Caltex took off with the package, flying 0.9 kilometer across the sea to connect with a self-driving robot standing by on the island. After taking the package, the robot safely delivered the package to the customer.

“Together with self-driving robots, GS Caltex will facilitate delivery services even in places where it’s difficult for drones to land,” a company official said.

GS Caltex and GS Retail are in the process of transforming their nationwide network of gas stations into logistics hubs for delivery services.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)