In a Year, You Can Buy a Robot for Less Than Two Million Won

A world where robots and humans coexist is materializing.

On Wednesday at a public demonstration of Ubiquitous Robotic Companions (URC), Minister of Information and Communication Chin Dae-je said that during the latter half of next year, robots can be supplied at an affordable price of less than two million won.

In the demonstration, seven kinds of robots that can be used at home, offices, and schools were introduced.

One kind named Jupiter can sing and dance. Users can also monitor their homes by calling the robot with their cell phones and receiving freshly taken photos. When the battery dies, it recharges itself.

Weaver, still at the developing stage, can identify users by recognizing faces and height. It can play rock-paper-scissors with the user.

Another robot, uPostmate, can detect the location of intruders and capture them by shooting a net. During a trial test, the security robot successfully captured an adult male.

The most prominent characteristic of these robots is that they download their intelligence from the Internet. Unlike existing robots, they can accumulate information by using wireless Internet once the program is developed.

By utilizing these functions, the ministry said that by 2015, it will create a world where robots live together with humans and relieve them of some chores.

Sang-Hoon Kim sanhkim@donga.com