[Report] Riding Autonomous Robot Wheelchairs to Visit Exhibitions... Accessibility for Socially Vulnerable Groups Widely Open

Operation of Autonomous Smart Robot Chairs at DDP
Expected Expansion to Airports, Stations, and Hospitals... Demonstration at Daegu Art Museum Next Year

A person riding an autonomous smart robot wheelchair while viewing the exhibition. Photo by KT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] KT is enhancing accessibility for socially vulnerable groups with its 'autonomous smart robot chair.' It is providing autonomous driving chairs to help people with leg difficulties conveniently view exhibitions, and plans to expand this service to airports, libraries, hospitals, and more to broaden the activity range of socially vulnerable individuals.

On the 6th, I personally experienced riding the smart robot chair provided at the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) special exhibition held at the Design Hall on the 3rd floor of the Design Lab at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul. The smart robot chair was born from the combination of KT's communication capabilities and robot platform, Daedong Mobility's hardware, and Koga Robotics' autonomous driving technology.

Its appearance resembles an electric wheelchair. After setting the destination in advance, the chair autonomously navigates the exhibition hall to assist visitors once they board. It stops for about 10 seconds upon reaching each artwork and then moves to the next piece after viewing. For safety, features such as obstacle collision detection, automatic stop, and route detour technology have been applied.

Visually, it seemed slower than walking and might feel a bit frustrating, but actually riding it provided a sense of stability at an appropriate speed. The smooth stopping and starting prevented any jolting of the body. I initially thought it only functioned like a shuttle moving inside the exhibition hall, but when it reached an artwork, it adjusted to a convenient viewing position and paused for 10 seconds, making it more comfortable than walking. It can also be manually controlled; if you want to view longer than 10 seconds, you can press the stop button.

(From left) Han Jaeguk, Team Leader of KT AI & Robotics Business Group, Lee Heonjung, Head of Mobility Development Team at Daedong Mobility, and Ko Dongwook, CEO of Koga Robotics, are answering questions. Photo by KT

Park Hee-seon, Deputy Head of KT’s AI & Robot Business Synergy Team, said, "The chair stops when it detects physical obstacles using LiDAR and camera sensors. The rider can also press the emergency button on the touch panel, and a lower emergency stop button is installed, providing a three-tier safety system." She added, "In the future, by installing a control platform based on KT’s communication platform, guardians or management agencies will be able to monitor the location and emergency situations of elderly or disabled individuals remotely."

KT plans to expand the autonomous smart robot chair as a robotic solution supporting the mobility of socially vulnerable groups not only in exhibition halls but also in various places such as airports, train stations, hospitals, and hotels. A pilot test is scheduled at an art museum in the Daegu area from August to October next year. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication will be introduced to connect front and rear robots, share spatial information, and enable integrated control. Tablet devices and earphones will also be equipped to add docent functions.

Deputy Head Park said, "As the number of disabled and elderly people increases, the number of walking-vulnerable individuals is also rising, so there is a need to prepare solutions for walking mobility such as exhibition viewing. Currently, we are targeting about 1,000 museums and art galleries in Korea. Overseas cases show that autonomous wheelchairs have been used at airports in the United States and Japan. We expect this to be recognized as a new solution usable at airports and other locations domestically as well."

Currently, the system uses Wi-Fi, but there is vast potential for development by controlling it via LTE or 5G, or by equipping KT’s AI GiGA Genie.

In the long term, it is expected to evolve into a device for everyone, not just socially vulnerable groups. Lee Heon-jung, Head of Mobility Development Team at Daedong Mobility, said, "When we made the first prototype and conducted a PoC at Hangang Jamwon Park, an elderly passerby refused to try it, saying they could walk and didn’t need it." He added, "We want to break away from designs that cause rejection among disabled and elderly people. Although targeting disabled and elderly users, we aim to create a vehicle that anyone can use."

Han Jae-guk, Team Leader of KT AI & Robot Business Group, explained, "As technology advances, it will be safer than walking and allow movement along comfortable routes at desired times. For example, authentication at automatic doors will enable free movement between buildings, or in places like hospitals, it will reduce the need to wait for nurses, easing workload." He concluded, "We expect it to be effective by connecting with new stakeholders."