Seocho-gu Develops Exclusive 'Voice-Guided Kiosk Educational App' for Seniors

Due to COVID-19 limitations on face-to-face education, kiosk experience and practice available anytime, anywhere on smartphones via contactless methods... Free app posted on App Store, education planned for seniors

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jo Eun-hee) plans to develop and distribute for free the nation's first voice-guided kiosk (unmanned terminal) training app exclusively for seniors to bridge the information gap caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The senior-exclusive voice-guided kiosk training app was developed based on nine types of kiosk training content (unmanned civil service issuance, fast food, cinema, cafe, express bus, ATM, KTX, airport, hospital) that Seocho-gu first developed nationwide last year as part of efforts to overcome the limitations of experiential training through existing fixed large kiosks.

Additionally, appropriate voice guidance is inserted on each page, allowing seniors to practice each kiosk anytime on their own smartphones, aiming to create a safer educational environment amid COVID-19.

The app's initial version will be completed on the 11th and will be posted for free on the app store.

Since October 26, depending on the COVID-19 situation, robot classes using three types of AI robots (humanoid, dementia prevention, cognitive training) have been conducted at six IT-exclusive training centers in senior welfare facilities with a capacity of fewer than 10 people. Also, 60 courses of the Smart Senior IT School are underway, and using 29 IT supporters, outreach education for seniors at 140 local senior centers will begin.

Meanwhile, the district led kiosk experiential education by registering a patent for the senior-exclusive kiosk training system developed nationwide first last year. In March, it also developed a mobile kiosk training tablet for outreach kiosk education.

Furthermore, benchmarking requests have surged from public institutions such as Seoul City and the National Information Society Agency to private companies, and several latecomers who recognized the importance of kiosk education are developing their own training programs.

Jo Eun-hee, Mayor of Seocho-gu, stated, “We will actively expand the ‘digital education’ project to ensure that vulnerable groups, including seniors, are not left behind in the rapidly changing digital environment due to COVID-19.”