Geumcheon-gu 'Intelligent Smart Childcare Robot' Pilot Operation

Pilot operation at 5 care centers until June 23

Children-tailored content including storytelling, nursery rhymes, eye contact, and greetings

Plan to sequentially distribute to 33 care centers from 2024

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) will pilot operate the ‘Intelligent Smart Child Care Robot,’ developed to suit the perspective of children, until June 23 to improve the local child care management system.

Geumcheon-gu has been developing the child care robot since being selected in 2021 for the ‘New Product Development Project with Purchase Conditions for SMEs’ public contest.

Geumcheon-gu installed the currently developed content on the existing commercial robot ‘Riku’ and distributed one unit each to five care centers, linked with an online system. Care teachers will check the main functions while using them until June 23.

The robot is equipped with children-tailored content such as ▲ storytelling and nursery rhymes ▲ eye contact for interaction with children ▲ dancing ▲ greeting children by calling their names as they arrive at the center.

Children interacting with a robot at the Geumcheon-gu Community Child Center

Geumcheon-gu plans to develop a mental care service by the end of the year that enables the robot to recognize children’s emotional states, communicate, and provide counseling.

If Geumcheon-gu receives a ‘suitable’ approval in the comprehensive evaluation hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups by the end of the year, it will allocate a budget for robot purchases and sequentially distribute the ‘Intelligent Smart Child Care Robot’ to 33 care centers in Geumcheon-gu starting in 2024.

The distribution of the robot is expected to dramatically improve the care environment. Additionally, the scope of use will be expanded to vulnerable elderly living alone besides children.

Yu Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “We are now able to provide customized services applying smart technology to child-friendly projects,” and added, “We will continue to discover smart services that residents can feel in their daily lives to make Geumcheon-gu safe and happy.”

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