AI Feature 'Robot Doll' Plays a Role in Caring for the Elderly and Disabled

Secured 140 Million KRW in National Funding, Distributing AI-Enabled Care Robot Dolls to Elderly Vulnerable Groups

Discovering and Providing Advanced Services Suitable for the 4th Industrial Revolution Era

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Robots equipped with AI functions are expected to play a role in caring for the elderly and disabled in the future.

On the 7th, Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that the "Goheung-gun Robot-Based Elderly Life Care Service," a project sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, was finally selected.

This project targets seniors aged 80 and over in the area, aiming to improve lifestyle habits and emotional stability. By the end of this year, a budget of 200 million KRW (140 million KRW national funds, 60 million KRW county funds) will be invested to distribute a total of 500 care robot dolls.

This public project was promoted to enhance the welfare of socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled by utilizing robots. The county has devoted great effort to securing the project selection by thoroughly analyzing previous cases selected by other cities and counties last year.

The care robot dolls to be distributed by the county are plush dolls equipped with artificial intelligence functions, capable of basic communication with the elderly, which is effective for emotional stability. They also provide basic local life information such as bus schedules and weather updates.

Additionally, they have functions that allow remote dementia prevention classes and real-time collection of requests regarding daily inconveniences, which are then delivered to caregivers and others.

The county plans to select recipients based on its own criteria targeting vulnerable elderly groups in 16 towns and townships, and intends to ensure thorough aftercare through continuous maintenance and feedback collection even after distribution.

A county official stated, "Through this project, we expect not only to increase the psychological stability of the recipients but also to greatly contribute to reducing the workload of care personnel and fundamentally improving the quality of life for socially vulnerable groups," adding, "Starting with the expansion of services using AI-based elderly care robots, we will continue to discover advanced services suitable for the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."