SK텔레콤 AI-5G 탑재 '코로나19 방역로봇' 만들어
South Korea's advanced technology is helping the fight against COVID-19.
The company SK Telecom has developed a robot that can enforce public health regulations, like mask-wearing, check people's temperatures and even disinfect buildings.
Park Se-young has more.
A self-driving robot equipped with an LED screen and cameras greets visitors and dispenses hand sanitizer at a building in Seoul.
It also checks visitors' body temperatures and sets off an alarm if anyone's temperature is over 37-point-five degrees Celsius.
Using AI technology, it detects gatherings of people and says:
"Please follow social distancing measures."
It also checks who is wearing and who is not wearing a face mask.
"Please wear a face mask."
Armed with ultraviolet lamps and two automatic disinfectant sprays, ...the robot can disinfect 99 percent of an area of 33 square meters in just ten minutes.
This robot was jointly developed by Korea's largest mobile network operator SK Telecom ...and industrial automation solution provider Omron Electronics.
It sends data to the control center in real-time over the telecom company's 5G network.
The developers have also added a function to hide faces mirrored in the screen to protect privacy.
Companies in Korea have long been using robotics for tasks like manufacturing and cleaning.
And now, amid coronavirus concerns, the technology has gotten a boost as more companies are looking to reduce human contact.
"Although it's named the 'coronavirus prevention robot,' it's really a robot for any disease. Even if it's not coronavirus, the robot can be used to protect against outbreaks of other things like influenza."
SK Telecom is set to launch the robot in Korea this year ...and in global markets next year.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
