The Seoul Digital Foundation selected the “Project for Supply of Educational Robots to Bridge Digital Gaps” as the winner of the “2020 Contest for Robot Use to Support the Socially Vulnerable” that was held by the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, an affiliate of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The educational robot will be supplied to middle-aged individuals and the elderly for one-on-one instructions on how to use digital devices.

Centered around the Seoul Digital Foundation, the project is a consortium of Torooc Co., Ltd., Inno Contents Network, and five autonomous districts in Seoul (Gangnam-gu, Gangdong-gu, Gwanak-gu, Yangcheon-gu, Jungnang-gu) that has invested a total of KRW 1 billion, which includes KRW 500 million of government expenses, KRW 200 million of municipal expenses, and KRW 300 million from the autonomous districts, to supply 16 senior welfare centers in Seoul with 200 educational robots.

While fully launching the project for the supply of robots this August, the foundation will operate educational courses to 4,000 middle-aged individuals and the elderly to narrow digital gaps. The robots will comprehensively teach users how to use messenger programs while monitoring learning results in real time in order to help them repeat areas requiring extra practice. The robots are installed with voice recognition and response functions for two-way, communicational learning through asking and answering questions.

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“LIKU,” the educational robot	“LIKU,” the educational robot
Digital literacy education for middle-aged individuals and the elderly	Educational smart device

Overview of the Educational Robot for Narrowing Digital Gaps

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	Makes judgments on its own and acts according to its own will
	Moves like a person and walks around freely
	Detects surroundings and actively responds
	Can make various expressions and deliver information
	Learns the faces, names, emotions, and tendencies of surrounding people
	Recognizes voices and offers responses
	(Entertainment) Plays music, makes motions and dances in sync with the music
	Offers 1:1 education on KakaoTalk functions and offers feedback
Digital devices installed in LIKU	LIKU’s main functions

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LIKU’s outer appearance	Educational flow chart