Contents - Korea IT Times

Cover Story / Robot Industry
Robots, an Expert's View
In order for Korea's robot industry to be
activated, the market demand for robots
must expand internationally. Currently,
Korea is able to facilitate and develop its
demand in international technological markets.
Mr. Shin Kyung-Churl, PhD and
President of Yujin Robot and the chairman
of the Korea Association of Robotics
(KAR), revealed these opinions in his
exclusive interview with Korea IT Times.
"Robot products, whose performance
was verified in Korea," the robot industry
veteran said, "hold a high possibility to be
successful in overseas markets."
Touching upon the fact that Korea's
robotics industry is well equipped for global
competition, Shin emphasized that it is most
important to be strong in the domestic market.
By sustaining the demand in the domestic
market, in one or two years, Korean robot
manufacturers will be well established and
prospering in overseas markets as well.
Therefore, remaining localized within
Korea is not the answer to a prosperous and
growing robotics technology sector. The
question is, then, where is Korea's robot
technological sector currently standing in
relation to global competitiveness in the
technological market?
For the last six years, businesses within
Korea have been developing and building
upon their robotics technology. Also, within
the last four years, the Korean government has
designated the robotics technological industry
as one of the most important economic growth
Yujin Robot's iClebo Free
Yujin Robot’s iClebo Free
sectors within the country. Shin asserts that,
from these historical facts, Korea's robotics
technological sector has been and will be producing
fine technological products.
Shin insists that the ultimate goal for
robot technology is to create and produce a
robot that can perfectly communicate with
human beings, enabling it to fulfill every
need that a human society could desire.
"For instance," Shin states, "currently a
cleaning robot, an educational robot, a network
robot, or a guard robot has arrived at
the stage where they can explain functions
even though these robots have not reached
their maximum commercialization potential."
He asserts, though, that the demand
for these robots will increase on the international
market as the government continues
to provide help to the robot businesses.
These futuristic robots can be used in
such programs as u-City and u-Home projects
by utilizing and developing these
robots, the development and expansion of
these buzzed-about programs will largely
improve. This dream, though, can only turn
into reality through active dialogue between
many technological sectors. The construction
field, home network field, telecommunication
field, and robot creation field must
communicate to construct a successful commercialization
model.
In robot business circles' task to develop
the robotics industry even more, the president
said: "In the case of reconstructing the robot,
the first reformation must be attended to well.
Second, functions such as the inhalation and
navigation must be recreated carefully to produce
an extremely effective robot."
Shin, however, mentioned a price problem
that would arise if the new robot
receives a popular response from the public
market. After the new robot's activation,
the demand for the robot will actually
decrease its market price. "In particular," he
said, "providing a robot market comes to
show its market scale to some degree, the
robot manufacturer company's commercialization
plan will move with a pre-circulation
structure
as normally
done and, therefore,
alter its final circulation price."
Regarding the robot construction fields
and industries that Korea already controls in
other countries, Shin flatly stated: "It is too
early to say anything about the effect that
may come from this change in the robot
industry." To take a lead globally, he
asserted that it is as important to be recognized
at home with the commercializing of
home products and abroad.
The foil in Shin's plan is that countries
that have profited for the last few decades
from their robotic industrial sectors, such as
Japan, USA, and Europe, are currently suffering
difficulties in the selling of their
robots. Shin admits to this problematic
globally growing trend and responds by
stating: "Although the technological development
of robots is necessary, it is far more
important to construct a social system that
supports the use of these robots. For example,
focusing on building a demand for
these robots in the educational sector of
human society will guarantee their sustainability
as a commercial product."
Robots together tomorrow
With regard to the upcoming Robot
World 2007 forum to be held under the title
ROBOT, Together & Tomorrow from
October 18th to 21st in COEX Mall, he
expressed that he possesses big expectations
for the conference. Shin states that the
exhibition itself should be much larger than
previous conference exhibitions such as the
Korea Robot Conference, the International
Robot Conference and the International
Robot Industry Show.
Prior to the inauguration of Robot World
2007, Shin is scheduled to present a speech
entitled Robots and Digital Convergence at
the IT policy forum organized by SEK, the
Solution and Contents Exhibition of Korea,
Buyers discuss at the Hometech Exhibition in Dubai in May
in June of this year. His speech will discuss using robots as a
tool for future digital technology to be grafted on. He will
include in this speech the need for robots not to be solely commercially
focused on the needs of the Korean market, but also
catering to the needs of the global sphere. Robots of the future
must meet the diverse needs of a people from many regions of
the world.
Regarding to the technological sectors ability to create
and activate such ideal robots, Shin ensured that Korea's
robotic industry continues to quickly advance. For example,
the Yujin Robotics Company has sold over one thousand
cleaning robots this year. In Dubai alone, the company is
expected to sell at least seven thousand cleaning robots. In
addition, the iClebo Free cleaning robot has displayed perfect
performance in helping maintain a region that is known for
its dirt coming from the localities' immense deserts. For
more information on these robots, please check the company's
website at www.yujinrobot.com.
Robot World 2007 will be held over four
days from October 18th through 21th, 2007 at
COEX, Seoul, Korea. It is expected to live up
to its catchphrase, which is The 2nd Wonder
Next to Semiconductors, Robots Together
Tomorrow. Organizers plan a robot festival in
which not only the academic world related to
the robotics industry, the industrial world, and
governmental associated institutions, but also
all people who love robot at home and abroad
can participate.
Hosted under the auspices of the Ministry
of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE)
and supervised by a total of 9 robot-associated
institutions including the Korea Association of
Robotics, the largest scale robotics exhibition
and convention Robot World 2007 will serve
Interview
The following are excerpts from an interview with Shin Kyung-chul, Ph.D.
ENC and President of Yujin Robot -- Ed.
Q: What is the direction in which Korea's robotic industry is working?
A: The direction of our nation's robotics technology is towards
enabling all users to create and/or produce any item they desire
through simply communicating with the robots. In that context, robot
have yet to achieve the ability to be commercialized both at home and
abroad; however, provided that the current developing robot's commercialization
will be successful, these styles of robots will make a strong
entrance into the international market.
Q: Then, can we see that robot is actually utilized as a finished
product? It is said that Yujin Robot Company's iCLEBO has
already crossed a developmental breaking point and is only currently
being improved on for market sale.
A: The cleaning robot is currently being sold both online and offline.
Entertainment and education robots are also entering the sales market.
In addition, the network home robot and guidance airport and station
robot are in pilot development. Once these robots finish their piloting
stage, they can easily be successfully sold on the robotics market.
Q: What do you think about the task for successfully advertising
and producing international demand for these robots?
A: It is very important to expand past the domestic market and enter
the international market. At the same time, the government's effort to
secure internal robot market provides commercial support. Therefore, it
is important that a demand for these robots is forged unto the international
market while also respecting the Korean government's internal economic-security
desires.
One More Step to Number One
as a ground for publicity to acquaint the world
with Korea's robot industry. At the same time
it will create substantial business between participating
companies and buyers.
MOCIE officials said that the government,
the academic world, industrial circles
and robot-related persons are uniting their
efforts in order to secure an initiative of the
world robot market through preemptive market
creation of the robotics industry.
In that respect, they expected: "This year's
Robot World would serve as an important
momentum to let the nation know the government's
will toward a robot power while allowing
the nation to change their awareness about
robot as a companion for the future society."
The Robot World 2007 will be composed
of the International Robot Industry Show
(iRIS), International Robot Contest (IRC), and
Korea Robot Conference (KRC), according to
the Secretariat of the Robot World 2007.
Through diverse incidental events such as
new product launching show which can introduce
and publicize company's new products
at home and abroad, robot theme pavilion
which will embody the encounter of robots
and movies, robots and arts, between robots
and the future and business plaza which provides
business' opportunity between participating
companies and buyers, Secretariat
officials emphasize that this upcoming
October we can share the future with robots
while allowing us to recognize the coming
robotics world.
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KOREA IT TIMES June 2007 _ 4 9