Episode from US Sitcom Becomes Reality... Barcelona MWC Home Viewing Experience

SK Telecom Remote Robot-Based Docent Experience

At the 'Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022' exhibition held in Barcelona, Spain, visitors are taking a 'Metaverse Tour' through SK Telecom's remote docent robot. Nearby spectators are also taking photos of the robot. Photo by SK Telecom

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] #. Sheldon, the quirky physicist from the popular American sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory,' one day refuses to go out and instead roams the streets with the help of his friend Leonard through a robot equipped with a screen. What was once considered a joke has become a reality as a 'remote docent' experience amid the COVID-19 situation.

On the afternoon of the 1st (Korean time), Asia Economy connected to a remote robot at SK Telecom's exhibition booth at the 'Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022' held in Barcelona, Spain, and explored various places firsthand. This is a 'robot'-based docent tour prepared to suit the current trend where face-to-face visits have become difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The protagonist roaming the Barcelona site is the robot 'Double3' from the robotics startup Double Robotics. The camera and speaker installed on the robot serve as its eyes and mouth, and the control keys are the laptop keyboard. It stands at 120cm, adjustable in height, roughly at the eye level of a first-grade elementary school student.

Upon entering the center of the exhibition hall, the metaverse platform 'ifland' immediately caught the eye. This place, where avatars warmly welcome visitors, is the 'Metaverse Zone,' and this year SK Telecom plans to expand the ifland stage to over 80 countries. K-pop singer 'Jaime' was also enjoying the metaverse zone implemented with mixed reality (MR) technology alongside visitors.

Afterwards, we visited exhibitions of quantum encryption technologies including the AI semiconductor Sapeon, quantum random number generators, and quantum phones. The last stop was the 'Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Simulator,' where visitors lined up even in the morning hours, showing its popularity as a 4D metaverse experience.

After the docent tour ended, a 5-minute free viewing was allowed, and we stepped outside the SK Telecom exhibition hall. The journey ended upon arriving at the adjacent giant Samsung Electronics booth and then the French telecom company Orange booth. Visitors seemed fascinated, even taking pictures of the reporter’s face and the robot displayed on the screen together.

An SK Telecom official said, "We plan to fully launch related businesses in the future," adding, "There are limitations due to surrounding communication conditions and the physical environment of local sites, but we will improve through technological development."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.