this site is a repository for my project. here are some recent posts.

 

  • Robotised space and humans as subjects of care or sources of friction
    NAVER 1784, described by Kyungmin at Baemin Robotics Lab as ‘the utopia for indoor delivery robots’ during the interview, demonstrates how humans and robots might co-exist in shared robotised space. NAVER 1784 is the second headquarters of the Korean tech giant Naver, which opened as the world’s first robot-friendly building in 2022. The whole building serves as a testbed where engineers and designers of NAVER LABS cohabit with their new technologies, including 100 delivery robots, which evolve every day through… Continue reading Robotised space and humans as subjects of care or sources of friction
  • Encountering Dilly and its human guardian
    Gwanggyo and other urban robotic labs allow us to grapple with the ongoing ‘infrastructuralisation of robotically augmented cities’ (While et al., 2021, p. 781), as delivery robots are woven into the urban landscapes and humans and robots cohabit and evolve together. I visited Gwanggyo three times in the summer of 2022 to observe Dilly Drives in action. On my first visit in late June, I failed to meet any robots and learned from an ice cream store that they were… Continue reading Encountering Dilly and its human guardian
  • ‘Searching for the right delivery for you…’, says AI
    Couriers greet each other (if they greet) by saying, ‘are there any calls?’, especially at the edges of peak times and during low seasons when the supply of couriers is excessive. Waiting for a call, combined with information asymmetry, materialises as coerced immobility or aimless roaming. The Baemin Connect app only displays the message ‘Searching for the right delivery for you…’ without providing any further context. Therefore, couriers are constantly guessing whether there is really no order in the area… Continue reading ‘Searching for the right delivery for you…’, says AI
  • ‘I don’t want to walk for free anymore’, says Eunyoung
    The rise of mobility platforms contributes to encouraging and commodifying movements of citizens. In line with many smart city apps anticipate their users to be mobile bodies, viewing them normatively and financially valuable (Rose et al., 2020). A colleague of Minwoo who commuted by tube would take off a couple stops before where many pubs were located. He then signed into Kakao Driver to drive a drunken customer home in his neighbourhood. This way, he could earn money while going home, driving… Continue reading ‘I don’t want to walk for free anymore’, says Eunyoung
  • The making of a Baemin courier
    At 10 pm, I logged in as I was leaving home carrying a cubic thermal bag on my back as usual. My phone and GoPro were fully charged. The Baemin AI quickly found an order for me. I accepted it without even checking what it was because I must—I heard from my interviewees that rejecting the first order of the day can lead to 20–30 minutes (or even the entire day) without a job. The call was from a nearby… Continue reading The making of a Baemin courier
  • Platform work pays fairly, says K-Meritocracy
    Among Baemin couriers, there exists a belief that food delivery work rewards fairly—despite the obscure algorithms—compared to other types of work. As an online business owner, Minsu’s income depends on unpredictable demand from customers. Delivering with Baemin at least lets him earn money as much as he ‘burns his time [as in burning wood guarantees heat’. He added, ‘this also means that if you don’t move, you get nothing’. Jihoon also commented that ‘you get paid precisely by the amount of time and… Continue reading Platform work pays fairly, says K-Meritocracy
  • A ceaselessly flowing city, tetheredly moving couriers: the case of Baemin delivery platform workers in Seoul
    Re-posted from Backchannels, 4S blog: head here for the original post Digital platforms are increasingly taking over the operation of critical urban services (Barns 2019; Sadowski 2021). Notably, food delivery platforms, acclaimed as playing an infrastructural role during the COVID-19 pandemic by mediating delivery of food to immobilised populations, continue to proliferate in many cities across the globe. Food delivery platforms, as they aim to achieve logistical efficiency, enable particular modes of circulation and movements within cities, giving rise to a… Continue reading A ceaselessly flowing city, tetheredly moving couriers: the case of Baemin delivery platform workers in Seoul
  • Prelude: Perfectly coordinated
    Urban landscape is ever changing. Living in the city might mean encountering something new, or to be precise, moving with something new. Intersecting movements are what makes cities a living organism. Countless number of people and various modes of transports move in different directions at different paces. A few years ago, new things joined these urban movements – riders zipping around the streets carrying a huge cube-shaped bag, wearing the same uniform and helmet. I saw them in London, Liverpool,… Continue reading Prelude: Perfectly coordinated