The shucle’ AI Dynamic Routing finds the best route for all of the passengers on board to ensure quick and efficient travel

Shucle, Korea’s first ride pooling service, is a new type of mobility service conducted by Hyundai in Eunpyeong New Town from Feb. 14 to May 15 for passengers with similar destinations and routes. The exclusive app calls up the vehicle and allows users to get on and off at any place they want, so they can use it conveniently even for a short distance.

Ride pooling service Shucle which allows passengers to ride wherever they want

Let’s say you want to go to the fitness center or a supermarket near your house, but it’s a little too far to walk and the bus routes are not direct. However, it is too short a distance for a taxi ride. You must have been in such a situation at least a few times. Shucle was created to make it easier to travel in just such a situation. Shucle is Korea’s first ride-pooling service, and was launched by Hyundai in partnership with taxi transport operator KST Mobility. When the user calls for a ride within a 2km radius of the service area, a 11-seater passenger van will pick you up and drop you off at your destination.

Unlike buses, Shucles do not have fixed routes, so you might think, "What if my Shucle takes in passengers who force me to take a long detour?" No worries. Because it is equipped with "AI Dynamic Routing" technology developed by Hyundai and Kia' own Artificial Intelligence Research Lab (AIR Lab). The AI Dynamic Routing helps find the best route for all of the passengers on board to ensure quick and efficient travel.

Moreover, the designated seating system allows children, adults and even pets to travel comfortably. Shucle launched its first pilot service in the Eunpyeong district. The wider deployment of the Shucle service could bring a number of benefits including a reduction in personal car use in the neighborhood and strengthen the local economy.

A new ride in our neighborhood - What makes Shucle cool?

Designated seating system is in place for passenger’s convenience with optional baby car seats

1. Anywhere in the neighborhood; convenience and freedom
Anyone in the service area can call up and get a ride conveniently where there is no easy public transport option.

2. Quick and smart routing with AI technology
AI-based real-time optimal route-setting technology analyzes traffic conditions between the departure point and the destination to find the best route.

3. Ample amenities
Ready to meet every need from storage space for large luggage to USB ports mounted on individual seats.

4. Children and pet friendly
You can travel comfortably in the designated seats with your pet, whilst passengers with infants will automatically be assigned a baby car seat.

5. Reasonable rate plan for different usage patterns
In the future, more plan options will be introduced including single person, four-member family, subscription, and monthly plans.

Shucle - How it works

Shucle service has four steps: calling, boarding, transporting, and getting off, making it easy and comfortable to get where you want to go

Step.1 Calling
Install Shucle application on your smartphone. After identity verification, set your destination and request a ride. The current vehicle location, boarding location and estimated arrival time will be displayed.

Step.2 Boarding
Go to the designated boarding location. Shucle will guide you to a nearby designated stop within a 5-minute walking distance.

Step.3 Transporting
Sit comfortably in your designated seat. The overhead monitor displays how many passengers are onboard, the seating arrangements, and estimated arrival times.

Step.4 Getting off
As you arrive at your destination, check the drop-off location notification and get off. Follow directions to your final destination on foot as needed.

Mini Interview on Shucle

Shucle provides a comfortable and free travel experience for locals who lack transportation infrastructure

Q. Shucle is capable of taking you to your destination via an optimal route thanks to the real-time optimal route search technology. Optimal route search programs have been around for a while in maps and navigation software. What sets the real-time optimal path search technology in the Shucle apart from others?

Young-hyun Ju While optimal routing in existing navigation or map applications is built for a single vehicle and a single user, the optimal routing for Shucle is designed to work with multiple vehicles for the efficient transport of multiple passengers with different destinations. When a new request for a ride is registered, the nearest vehicle carrying passengers with similar destinations is assigned for pickup and the route is reconfigured in real time while minimizing detours.

Q. There must have been a lot of difficulties introducing a new transport service that never existed before.

Young-hyun Ju It took 10 months from preparing the technology to it being ready to use. It was difficult to develop a software platform from scratch with little experience with real users. Since it is a service that is directly linked with offline users, it was necessary to conduct a small pilot operation to identify issues that may occur during the service and address them.

Q. What was the rationale behind selecting the Eunpyeong district as a demonstration site for the Shucle service?

Soo-young Kim Shucle is designed to provide short-haul transport. We reviewed new cities with relatively high demand for public transportations and chose Eunpyeong because of its population density and the high frequency of public transport use. Pilot test users were selected from local residents, with an even distribution among different age groups and frequency of public transport use.

Q. Why was Solati chosen for the pilot service?

Soo-young Kim It had to be Solati for various reasons. Shucle is a sharing service permitted under the "Regulatory Sandbox Special Demonstration Act." While efficiency in transporting multiple passengers was important, we wanted a large vehicle so passengers could have enough space. Solati was the perfect choice in that regard. In addition, Solati is tall, which allows passengers to get in and out easily.

Q. What are the expected economic benefits when the Shucle service is fully deployed?

Soo-young Kim A lot of local businesses are not easily accessible by public transport and have no parking spaces. We expect to see a boost in those local businesses as Shucle makes them more accessible for residents. I think the experience of going wherever and whenever you want will have a positive impact on the lifestyle of the local residents.

Q. What is Hyundai’s competitiveness compared to that of IT companies with an established platform businesses?

Soo-young Kim Advancements in software and IT are changing the way people move around. Service platforms such as Shucle will allow Hyundai and Kia to expand into mobility service businesses. Mobility services require both hardware, such as automobiles, and software technologies, such as algorithms, for dispatch. Hyundai and Kia have a strong advantage in hardware unlike software platform companies.

Q. What is the likely direction of future research, will it be about future cars or mobility service experiences such as Shucle?

Soo-young Kim There have been concerns about how ride-sharing services could trigger a crisis for traditional automakers. However, we are using this trend as an opportunity for innovation and studying people’s mobility experiences. Shucle is one of many innovative projects to provide a comfortable and flexible mobility experience for local residents. In the future, we plan to expand the service area with service models tailored to regional characteristics in collaboration with other local transportation service providers.

Text by. Ja-in Lee
Interviewees. Soo-young Kim and Young-hyun Ju, Senior Research Engineers at the AIR Lab of Hyundai and Kia