On the 15th, assigned to the former vaccination center opened, responsible for visitor fever checks and route guidance, danced around the center and presented videos
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) started operating a COVID-19 vaccination center on the 15th, and the civil service guidance robot deployed at the center, ‘Yong Bot,’ is receiving positive responses from residents.
Yong Bot means ‘Yongsan-gu Office’s first robot public official.’
Its position is assistant officer, and its duties include checking visitors’ temperatures and providing civil service guidance. It mainly monitors the temperature and mask-wearing status of residents visiting for vaccination and issues guidance messages such as “Please wear your mask properly” if abnormalities are detected.
To prevent visitors from getting bored, it regularly moves around the center performing entertaining dances or shows vaccination and district administration guide videos on its 11.6-inch touchscreen monitor.
It also presents popular performances and news videos from YouTube.
It can also engage in conversations. By pressing the microphone (voice input) icon on the screen and asking questions, basic answers are provided. However, since it is still in the early stages of operation, there are many cases where responses are difficult. The district plans to continuously input related data so that visitors and the robot can have natural conversations.
Yong Bot operates for about 8 hours on a single charge. When the battery runs low, it moves to the charger and recharges itself.
A resident who visited the center on the 15th said, “I have heard a lot about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and AI, but this is the first time I have seen a robot guiding civil services,” adding, “It seems the world is really changing fast.”
The district plans to operate Yong Bot at the center for 2 to 3 months, then move it to the second-floor general civil service office and change its role to guiding visitors with civil service inquiries.
The district vaccination center is located in the planning exhibition hall of Yongsan Art Hall (150 Noksapyeong-daero). It is divided into areas for pre-screening form filling and waiting, computer verification, pre-screening and vaccination, and adverse reaction monitoring, covering a total area of 1,150㎡.
The center operates on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Actual vaccination hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Vaccinations are not conducted during lunch time (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.).
The operating staff consists of 42 people: 4 doctors, 8 nurses, and 30 administrative support personnel working in shifts.
The vaccination targets are consenting Yongsan-gu residents. Following government policy, residents aged 75 and older are prioritized for vaccination, with vaccinations for all residents aged 18 and older continuing from the second half of the year.
The daily vaccination capacity is 600 people.
On the 12th, the district signed a boundary agreement for the center with the 3rd Battalion of the Army’s 3537th Unit, Yongsan Police Station, and Yongsan Fire Station. In case of emergencies, the district, military, police, and fire departments will jointly respond.
Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “We have started operating the district vaccination center targeting seniors aged 75 and older,” adding, “The district will do its best to ensure residents can be vaccinated in the most comfortable and safe environment possible.”
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