The Robot Era--Coming Soon to Households Near You!
The Robot Era--Coming Soon to Households Near You!
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  • 승인 2006.03.01 12:01
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Expert Column Intelligent robots selected as one of the 10 new growth engines of the Korean economy Robots are fast emerging as partners in our daily lives. According to a recent survey by the news media, it was found out that a robot cleaner was chosen as the second most wanted item after PDP TV among the electronic goods considered by brides to be necessary for marriage gifts. In the case of Japan, too, robots have become cherished items to elderly people. It has been reported that elderly people in Japan are taking care of Aibo robot dogs as if they were their offspring. Moreover, Paro, the therapeutic robot seal, is said to give comfort to elderly patients in hospitals. In this manner, intelligent robots are anticipated to faithfully execute the role as friendly partners to elderly people at a time of the society's transition into an aged society. It seems that it is not a thing of the distant future wherein robots will become partners to our leisurely lives and provide us with knowledge-based services.
In addition to the examples aforementioned, it is thought that intelligent robots, mounted with ever more advanced functions, will be utilized in various fields to perform special tasks that include not only those of medical service and national defense but also public facility control at major sites and operations to be carried out under extreme conditions. In 2002, the government selected intelligent robot as one of the 10 new growth engines of the economy. Since then, the government has played a leading role in presiding over R&D activities while the private sector, which includes large conglomerates as well as dozens of small and mid-sized venture firms, has strived to develop robots for their commercial use. In order to bear fruit from such an endeavor, it is necessary to make the best use of investment and adequately assign the roles to be taken up by those seeking to commercialize the technologies. To streamline the investment and create a new market, the government, for instance, needs to promote trial projects with public procurement programs and provide assistance to SMEs. Above all, it needs to facilitate businesses to have a mindset to make continued investment. Moreover, comprehensive government assistance is required so that division of roles among participants can be well organized. By doing so, SMEs can concentrate on developing high-tech parts and modules while large conglomerates can devote their energies to such tasks as systems integration and packaging. On the part of research institutions, too, they can focus on developing technologies for the production of standard components with high completion rates and make technology innovations and transfers. From the technological standpoint, it is true that Korea is a little behind when compared with Japan and other advanced countries in the field of robot hardware. However, Korea has gained world recognition for its technological prowess in the IT field. Helped by such technological strength, combined with the utilization of new IT technologies, the automobile industry, for example, is witnessing added values being created with the effect of reviving the industry as a whole. Similarly, the robot industry, too, is anticipated to see new values and markets being created through the industry's convergence with IT technologies despite technological weakness in hardware. In this vein, the Ministry of Information and Communication has proposed a new paradigm dubbed 'Ubiquitous Robot Companion (URC)' for advancing the robot industry. The Robot Age of one robot for every household is forecast to come to us soon. Moreover, it will be possible to experience various information services based on converged functions such as cleaning, home security, and entertainment. As a matter of fact, a trial operation of robots, and specifically 64 multi-functional robots placed in a house, has already been performed in late last year as part of the government's URC project. Moreover, the government plans to launch a similar trial service to several thousand households later this year for the widespread use of multi-functional 'national robots' to be supplied at around one million won. In the 'Ubiquitous Age,' tailor-made information services provided by intelligent robots will be readily available, since information terminals connected to both the fixed and wireless network will be present at every corner of human life. The brain part of an intelligent robot needed to provide services one after another will be controlled and operated by a mighty central server capable of recognizing various situations. In order to expedite such life-convenient intelligent age of robots, the industry, academia and research institutions should join forces and do their best on their part. Moreover, comprehensive assistance by the government, too, should be carried out at the same time.

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