Korean Home Robot

Another entry into the race for the perfect Korean home companion robot. This one is from Korean start-up KornTech.

Rogun is a 1-meter tall humanoid who can walk and communicate wirelessly with the Internet and cell phones. It is designed to play with kids and entertain them through a small video screen on his chest.

Through a cell phone the parents will be able to watch their kids and send commands to them and the robot.

KornTech says they have spent US $1 million developing the first unit. They will build more to order for $100,000 right now. In the future the plan to sell the cuties for as little as $5000.


Robot Keeps Home Safe(The Korea Times)

Latest Korean Ubiquitous Robot

The Korean Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and a consortium of tech companies have introduced their latest entry into the growing family of home robots.
ROMI understands voice and wireless commands and can communicate back via voice or wireless.
It has video cameras and send live video to your cell phone or PC. It also has tracking and mapping so it knows where it is.

The Korean government has been working on a program to get a robot in every home by 2020. The network enable 'ubiquitous robot companion' workers will help households with care for children and elderly, keeping updated on the news and weather reports and other duties as required.

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Korean research institute, companies make smart, ubiquitous robot | Korea.net News

Akihabara news

Korean URC's Released to Homes

The Korean Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) launched the pilot program of the national 'Ubiquitous Robot Companion' effort last week.

The pilot series will consist of 1000 of five different robot models placed in homes. This first round of robots will be used to get the bugs out of the system and to develop applications in preparation for commercial release.
The robots are expected to cost around US $1000 when they are commercialized.


The robots are for helping around the home with reports from the web, amusing the kids, ordering out food and remotely monitoring your home.

Since the robots stay connected, new applications can be added at any time.

The government program envisions a robot in every home in Korea by 2020. The government, universities and many robot, software and telecomunications companies are cooperating on the efforts.

There are still many people skeptical that the robots will offer enough services for their cost. In this pilot test, say MIC officials, they want to iron out the technical problems first.

In addition to the home robots, 20 robots will be released into airports and train stations to help tourists with information and directions.

The Korea Times : ‘I, Robots’ Come to Homes in Thousands

Robot Diva Injured at Trade Show Debut

The latest Korean robot babe EveR-2 had to be rushed into emergency surgery yesterday after she malfunctioned at the Robot World 2006 in Seoul.

EveR-2 Muse is the successor to EveR-1. Both are creations of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, KITECH,research labs.
EveR-2 has many more movements than her predecessor and she had planned on a pop music lip-synching debut at the show.

EveR-2 was knocked on the head or something while being carried into the show.
Doctors attending to the beauty say she is in good spirits and will probably be able demonstrate her full skillset before the end of the show.


Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea

Armed Border Guard Robots

The border between North and South Korea may become automated on the south side.

South Korea's Minister of Commerce Industry and Energy, Chung Sye-kyun, announced that they are opening a new era by replacing human soldiers with armed robots along the militarized border with the North.

The guard robot can fire a machine gun or rubber bullets. Its visible and infrared vision systems can spot moving objects from four kilometers (2.5 miles) away during the day. It recognizes different objects from 2 km and it can identify friend from foe from 10 meters away.

South Korea could deploy hundreds of the robots along the 155 mile (250 km) border, but they have not committed to the plan yet.

They also said that they are kicking off a project to make robots that can perform more military tasks such as roving patrols, mine removal and even combat soldiers.

The guard robot was developed by a consortium led by Samsung Techwin and Korea University over three years.

SKorea unveils armed guard robot for possible use along tense border with North - smh.com.au

Hubo Gets a Segway Scooter

Professor Oh Jun-ho of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology announced that his walking robot Hubo will be getting a Segway to scoot around on. Hubo will be the first robot to get on Segway and control the scooter. This is just the latest innovation from the Hubo Labs.

Albert Hubo is a version of the robot that sports an animated Albert Eistein head. Albert has been appointed as the official ambassador of 'Dynamic Korea.' He has been seen gallivanting around the world lately trying to catch up to the popularity of his Japanese rival Asimo.

Albert Hubo has reportedly signed a deal with pop-star Kanye West to perform in a music video for the 3-man band Sara on their debut album later this year.

When asked about the Segway trick for Hubo, Asimo reportedly scoffed, "Honda has spent hundreds of millions teaching me to walk and run. I don't need no stinkin' scooter."
For now, Hubo needs hep to get on or off the Segway but Oh says that he will be able to handle it all by himself after software upgrades.

The Korea Times : Korean Robot to Drive 2-Wheeled Scooter

Korean Eldercare Robots Are Coming

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy of Korea announced the next phase of the plan to get robots into every home by 2020.

The next stage will place helper robots in the homes of elderly Koreans. The robots are designed specifically for home care. They will be able to monitor the health of their master by checking pulse, blood pressure and the blood sugar levels. They will keep track of medications but also be a friendly companion who can play chess, sing songs and tell stories.

The home care robots are a continuation and significant expansion of current research. A recent article says, "More than 600 researchers from 11 companies, and some 20 universities and institutes will participate in the project for one year's time, the ministry said."

Korea is promoting development of robots in a plan to be a major producer of robots worldwide by 2013.
Their research efforts include robots for the military, robots for 'social safety', robot babysitters and teachers.
Their home robot, Ubiquitous Robot Companion, program plans to have 1000 network-connected robots in homes by the end of the year.

Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea

Korea Picks 'Ubiquitous Robot Companion' Network Partner

From The Korea Herald:

The National Computerization Agency said yesterday it picked KT Corp. to offer a new network-based robot service in September-December on a trial basis.

Network-based robots are dubbed "ubiquitous robotic companions" by Korean government officials, as they will be network-based to provide necessary services anytime, anywhere.


Consumers will enjoy an array of services provided by robots at low costs since URCs will be operated by simply adding voice-recognition servers and networks onto the existing robots, the NCA said.

The NCA and KT will respectively invest 3.5 billion won. They will embark on the project next month, to test contents, functions and reliabilities of the robots before the trial service.

Around 1,000 intelligent robots will be provided at homes and kindergartens across the country during the trial run.

Robots will offer daily news, weather information and recipes, as well as clean up homes. Users will only have to attach recognition codes to necessary spots at homes so that they can direct robots to places they want.

KT will partner with Samsung Electronics, Dasa Tech and Robo Tech in developing public service robot platforms and application servers.

Yujin Robotics, Hanool Robotics, Dasa Tech, Izi Robotics, Korea I.O. Tech and Most I-tech will cooperate with KT in developing home service platforms.

The local market for intelligent robots was estimated at $1 billion in 2004, but it is expected to grow to $4.9 billion in 2007 and $23.1 billion in 2010, according to the NCA.

The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper

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Android Beauty Speaks at Tech Fair

From Korea Times online:
By Kim Tae-gyu

A female android will chair the opening ceremony of the SEK 2006, Korea’s biggest info-tech exhibition that begins a four-day run at COEX in southern Seoul Wednesday.

The life-like android, named EveR-1, was developed by a research team at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology and went public early last month.

``EveR-1 is poised to introduce notable participants at today’s SEK ceremony before delivering an oral presentation on the annual fair,’’ said Baeg Moon-hong, a senior researcher at the state-sponsored institute.

``We are happy to show off our own android at the advanced IT fair. We aim to make efforts to develop the robot to be more like humans,’’ Baeg said.

Eve R-1 can understand 400 words and talk, with her lips in synch with the pronunciation of words.

Standing 1.6 meters tall and weighing about 50 kilograms, EveR-1 can blink her eyes and make several facial expressions as well as converse with others.

But she cannot move because her lower half is glued to the floor. Baeg aims to make her the first mobile android in history by enabling her to sit down and stand up this year.

``Should we get sufficient funds and personnel, we will be able to upgrade EveR-1 so that she can walk on her own in a couple of years,’’ Baeg said.


Korea Times Article

Korea Shows Off Robot Soldiers

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD), part of the Defense Ministry, demonstrated the new Experimental Autonomous Vehicle (XAV) for the public.

The XAV is a rolling soldier that will be able to carry out survellience or combat missions.
Those shown were a 1.2 ton battery operated and .9 ton gasoline engine version. Both are armed with machine guns.

Thye robot warriors can be operated by remote control or commanded to run autonomously. They always know their location with GPS sensors. The gas powered fighter can chase you at up to 45 kilometers per hour.

These are part of an ongoing $30-plus million program to develop an automated army by 2012.
Another soldier robot under development, the gyeonma, will have eight legs to help get it through rough terrain.

They also hope to use robots for civilian protection and control.


The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper

Android Eve Makes Her Debut

The Korean Institute for Industrial Technology (KITECH) has introduced a new android to the world. Eve R-1 came out for Children's Day at Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy.

Eve is a human look-alike with full movement in the face and upper body. Her skin is made of a soft silicone gel and feels similar to human skin.
She can see through her eyes so that she looks directly at a person in conversation. She undestands 400 words and the motors in her face can feign happiness, anger, sadness and delight.

The R-1 model can articulate only the upper body and always sits. The R-2 model, expected to be complete later this year, will have a wider range of expression and will be able to sit or stand.

Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea

Korean Running Robot Stays Connected

By Kim Tae-gyu

South Korea has developed a robot that is capable of running. The feat is the second in the world after Japan and was accomplished by a local venture start-up working on a small budget.

Robotis Thursday took the wraps off the network-based humanoid, tentatively named RX, which can run roughly 500 meters an hour empowered by outsourced software.

``This robot is built up with modulated blocks, which means it can be transformed easily to other types because it is made like Lego building blocks,’’ Robotis chief executive Kim Byoung-soo said.

``Another strength is that this 60-centimeter-tall machine works via software upgraded from outside network, the features our Japanese rivals do not have,’’ Kim said.

Robotis also channeled some $1 million to complete the running robot RX in a year through a joint project with Samsung Electronics, sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communication.

``Japanese robots are all-in-one models outfitted with all software for sensing and processing capabilities. But our robots are designed to download programs for such features from outside servers with casual updates,’’ Oh Sang-rok, projector manager at the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the MIC plans to commercially launch several types of network robots priced between $1,000 and $2,000 late this year under business alliance with private makers.

The Korea Times : Korea Develops Running Robot

Robot Police Project Launched in Korea

By Hwang Si-young

The Korean government announced yesterday it will start developing "robots for social safety" beginning as early as the later this year.

Robots for social safety means robots serving public purposes like public security, night guard, military duties, fire suppression and work at prisons, according to officials of the Ministry of Information and Communication.

A task force, composed of related industry experts and researchers, will first examine the viability of the so-called social safety robotics project in terms of technicality and marketability, hopefully to embark on the project later this year.

Robots functioning like dogs and horses

Further, the MIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense, plans to develop robots used for loading/unloading processes.

Dubbed literally as "robots functioning like dogs and horses," - dogs and horses in a Chinese phrase signify people who do not spare their efforts - they are currently being developed by the Agency for Defense Development and the Korean state think tank Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, said Hyung Tae-gun, director-general at the MIC's Information and Communication Policy Bureau.

Development of these six-legged robots, designed to perform dangerous tasks such as walking through minefields, deactivating unexploded bombs or clearing out hostile buildings, will be completed by 2009.

Three billion won (US $3 mil)is earmarked for the loading robotics project this year and 3-4 billion won will be gradually invested during the three-year period 2006-2009, Hyung said.

Also, the MIC reaffirmed yesterday its commitment to develop intelligent robots priced below 1 million won (US $1000)this year.

The definition of intelligent service robots has yet to be made, but will include robots for entertainment, education, home security and household chores.

The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper

Yujin Selects Navigation System for Home Robots

PASADENA, Calif.--Jan. 5, 2006--Evolution Robotics announced today that Yujin Robotics has selected its NorthStar(TM) product as the primary localization method for their home robot prototype, Jupiter.
Jupiter has been used for pilot testing in ordinary households since the beginning of October 2005 and is one of the key milestones of a project organized by the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication ("MIC").
NorthStar is an infrared LED technology that enables any electronic product to know where it is in real time.
NorthStar's localization system is comprised of two components: NorthStar Detector and NorthStar IR Projector. The NorthStar detector uses triangulation to measure position and heading in relation to IR light spots that can be projected onto the ceiling (or other visible surface). Because each IR light spot has a unique signature, the detector can instantly and unambiguously localize.

Jupiter is the first robot pilot in Korea being tested at a regular household environment where MIC uses three different types of robots and has a total of 64 units installed.

Yujin CEO and president, Shin Kyung-chul, has expressed great faith in the future of home robots. He has said, " ...for now, robots are just recognized as giving fun and curiosity. But I'm sure that the robot business will emerge as a major industrial trend in a few years, rendering substantial help to our daily lives." Robots will enable a new 'life revolution.'

Yujin Robotics Selects Evolution Robotics to Guide Their Home Robot, Jupiter; NorthStar(TM) Gives the Jupiter Robot the Ability to Know Where It's at at All Times

Robot Park Opens in Korea

By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter, The Korea Times
Puchon, Kyonggi Province, S. Korea

After six months of preparation, Robo Park opened last week as Korea’s first and only year-round robot museum in Puchon (Bucheon), a town sandwiched between Seoul and Inchon. The park has some 30 kinds of household and industrial robots on display, and most of them are purchased from 17 companies located in the very same building as the museum.

``First, we built it as a showroom for robot manufacturers in the industrial complex,’’ said Byun Jong-hwan, director of Robo Park. ``But while we were working with the plan, we came to think that it would be able to serve the regional community as well, providing a good educational opportunity for young children.’’

Director Byun says that one visitors’ favorite is a six-member troupe of Robonova, which give a 3-minute dancing performance on a classical number using their 14 human-like joints. Another popular figure is Mr. Face, which can make 10 facial expressions using its mechanical muscles.

The park was funded by the city and central government 50-50, and it is a part of South Korea’s plan to foster the smart robot industry.

Aiming to make robot technology a key growth engine in the country, the Ministry of Science and Technology last month said that it aims to make it a 100-trillion-won industry by 2020.
Also, the Ministry of Information and Communication announced a plan to prompt local firms to commercially launch household robots, such as robot vacuum cleaners and guard robots with an affordable price range of between 1 million and 2 million won this year.

The Korea Times : First Robot Park Opens in Puchon: "Robo Park "

Robots For Elderly

A research team at Sogang University in Korea recently developed a robot that helps disabled people and the elderly who have trouble with mobility. A person is attached to the robot's metallic arms at the waist, and the machine slowly leads the person, step by step. The robotic arms also support the person when he or she is sitting down.

It not only helps the elderly get around, like the robot developed by the team at Sogang University, but can also fetch items that a person requests, such as orange juice.
The robot can turn on a television and even water plants. Its software programming can inform the owner of the timetable for taking medications.

INSIDE JoongAng Daily

100,000 Koreans to Work for Robots by 2013

Seoul set to expand robotics market to W100tr by 2020

The plan envisions Korea accounting for 15 percent of the global robotics market by 2013 with a total production sales volume of 30 trillion won and annual export shipments of $20 billion. The industry will create 100,000 more jobs in the robotics sector, the government said.

These and other decisions were made yesterday at a meeting of the National Science and Technology Council, presided over by Science and Technology Minister Oh Myung.

The council said the intelligent robotics industry will get strategic support to become the backbone of the government-led "Next-generation Growth Engines" program, which is intended to develop key technologies that could feed the nation in the future.

The government's concept of intelligent robots calls for robots based on information technology. These robots are also called "ubiquitous robotic companions" as they will be network-based to provide necessary services anytime, anywhere.

The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper

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