POSCO Develops Augmented Reality App for Steel Material Environmental Education for Elementary Students with EBS

"POSCO to Promote Production of Three Major Eco-Friendly Brand Educational Programs in the Second Half of the Year"

An elementary school student receiving education on eco-friendly steel materials through the application "Bungeaeman and Eco-friendly Bungeaepower" developed by POSCO. The app features the character "Bungeaeman," who uses POSCO's smart housing (modular) technology to rebuild a collapsed school, helping students learn about the eco-friendliness of steel materials. (Photo by POSCO)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] POSCO announced on the 6th that it has developed an augmented reality (AR) educational application for lower-grade elementary school students in collaboration with the Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) to promote the eco-friendliness of steel materials. The app was created to teach the characteristics of steel materials that are easy to recycle.

POSCO released the "Bungeaeman and Eco-friendly Bungeae Power" app on the Android Play Store and iOS App Store on the same day. Previously, in October last year, POSCO signed a business agreement with EBS for "ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management practice and future education environment establishment" to jointly develop future education and broadcasting related to eco-friendly steel technology. The app is expected to be used as supplementary material for the "Environment" subject in the experiential curriculum for elementary and middle school students promoted by EBS.

POSCO explained that the app was designed to suit the level of 1st and 2nd-grade elementary students by applying AR and 3D technologies, featuring EBS’s popular character "Bungeaeman," and incorporating game elements. In the app, Bungeaeman rebuilds a school playground destroyed by environmental pollution using POSCO’s smart housing (modular) technology. However, students must separate and recycle materials made of steel, paper, plastic, and glass to charge Bungeaeman’s eco-friendly Bungeae Power to rebuild the school. This process naturally encourages students to learn that steel has superior recyclability compared to other materials. Smart housing technology refers to a construction method where more than 80% of the process is pre-assembled with steel materials, allowing for quick on-site construction without noise or dust. Buildings constructed using this method emit over 20% less greenhouse gases compared to conventional concrete construction methods.

In the second half of the year, POSCO plans to produce a mobile metaverse experience center applying smart housing technology and promote "School-Verse" education, which visits students from educationally vulnerable groups. The experience center will combine the newly developed eco-friendly steel education content with immersive eco-friendly education content being developed by EBS to enhance educational effectiveness. POSCO also plans to create an EBS educational program introducing the products and technologies of its three major eco-friendly brands: INNOVILT, e Autopos, and Greenable. INNOVILT is Korea’s first premium steel building materials integrated brand, e Autopos is an integrated brand for eco-friendly vehicle products and solutions, and Greenable?a compound word of "green" and "enable"?represents POSCO’s brand aimed at advancing the eco-friendly era by implementing a circular economy system from eco-friendly product manufacturing to recycling through steel.