Reaching for the Stars With Digital Convergence ... - Korea IT Times

2006-03-12006.3.410:47AM페이지8001채널맥(3443-0701)
Expert Column
The Robot Era--Coming Soon
to Households Near You!
Intelligent robots selected as one of the 10 new growth
engines of the Korean economy
By Yim Chu-hwan
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
Yim Chu-hwan,
president of ETRI
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.
What time weakens, nature can strengthen.
It can add years to life. It can ease the stress of modern living. And it
can even improve immunity. It’s the ‘science of life’, and as old as mankind.
It uses self-knowledge and self-care to bring harmony to your mind,
body and soul - with secrets gathered from leaves, flowers, roots,
oils and stones, Ayurveda will nourish you. Much like Incredible !ndia.
8 _ March 2006 KOREA IT TIMES