Dongdaemun-gu, AI (Companion) Dolls for Customized Elderly Care

Distribution of Companion Dolls to Prevent Hardship and Solitary Deaths Due to Prolonged COVID-19... Selected for Seoul City Public Project... Pilot Operation Until Year-End to Review Continuation

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun District (first from the right), is visiting an elderly person living alone and delivering the 'AI Companion Doll Kkumdong-i'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) is conducting a pilot operation of the "Hello, My Friend Kkumdong-i" project, which distributes AI-based companion dolls to alleviate loneliness and isolation among elderly living alone and to prevent solitary deaths.

The district plans to select 60 high-risk elderly individuals living alone who are vulnerable to dementia and suicide and provide them with companion dolls.

The companion doll is based on Dongdaemun-gu's representative character "Kkumdong-i" and offers daily conversation, entertainment, and information services to the elderly. It also includes "disease prevention content" features such as medication management and brain activity quizzes.

Additionally, it is equipped with an "Emergency Talk" function that sends real-time alerts to guardians and responsible agencies in case of emergencies, enabling real-time remote care and customized care reflecting the individual characteristics of the elderly.

This "Hello, My Friend Kkumdong-i" project was selected through Seoul City's public contest for the "AI-based Elderly Solitary Death Prevention Project" and will be piloted until the end of this year. After analyzing its effectiveness, the project will consider expanding the target group and continuing the program.

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, "We are expanding non-face-to-face services using IoT and AI speakers for elderly living alone who are increasingly isolated due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We will actively discover and promote care projects for vulnerable groups using various advanced technologies in preparation for the with-COVID and post-COVID era."