Fire and Gas Leak Monitoring... SKT Launches 'AI Robot Kit'

The First Robot Attachment Kit Design in the Industry
Applied to Walking Robots and Wheeled Robots

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] SK Telecom announced on the 20th that it has launched the 'AI Robot Kit,' which controls robot movements using its self-developed Vision artificial intelligence (AI) technology and provides customer-tailored services by analyzing video in real time with AI. This is the first product launch in the industry in the form of a kit attached to robots.

The 'AI Robot Kit' is designed as a rectangular box consisting of a computer, front and rear cameras, a 5G modem, speaker, and microphone. The 'AI Robot Kit' transmits high-definition video from the front and rear cameras to support robot mission execution and remote control based on AI video analysis.

Currently, most walking robot developers on the market focus on hardware improvements such as smooth robot movement, making it difficult to provide customized solutions required in various industrial fields, resulting in slow adoption. For example, a power company considered introducing robots to monitor gas leaks 24 hours a day, but purchasing only the robots made remote control impossible, and integration with gas detection sensors or video monitoring was not available, causing significant delays until a separate solution was developed.

The advantage of the AI Robot Kit is that it is a compact kit product that can be attached to existing robots to provide high-definition AI video analysis services at a level recognizable by managers. The interlocking function with robots is popular as a cost-effective product and was first applied to Unitree robots, which are widely sold domestically. It is also cost-effective. Overseas well-known products reportedly cost over 200 million KRW when purchasing high-priced robots along with software that includes control functions. However, the AI Robot Kit package sold by SKT can be purchased for under approximately 40 million KRW.

Additionally, existing walking robots can be used in various ways such as fire prevention, harmful gas detection, and indoor space 3D measurement. SKT offers high-performance harmful gas detectors, thermal cameras, and indoor space 3D mapping programs optimized for the AI Robot Kit, allowing customers to select necessary functions as options. Furthermore, in disaster situations, collaboration between drones and robots is crucial. SKT's AI Robot Kit system can simultaneously control drones and robots within a single video control system and can also control multiple robots at once, making it effective for rapid response.

SKT's AI Robot Kit video control system consists of walking robots equipped with the AI Robot Kit, a control server, and an AI video control system.

Walking robots equipped with the AI Robot Kit are remotely operated to suspected fire sites, and high-definition video captured by built-in front and rear cameras is transmitted in real time via wireless communication networks (5G·LTE) to the control server (T live studio) located in the control center.

The video delivered to the AI video control system (T live GCS), connected to the server via optical cable, can be monitored in real time at the AI video analysis system within the control center, allowing operators to view robot control screens and up to 16 channels of high-definition video captured from multiple robots, drones, body cams, etc., and respond promptly.

SKT plans to unveil the AI Robot Kit and Unitree robot package for the first time at 'Drone Show Korea 2023,' held at BEXCO in Busan for three days starting on the 23rd.

The domestic quadruped walking robot market has many potential adopters due to its 24-hour usability regardless of time and place, but its high price and limited applications have led to pilot operations mainly by some large corporations, universities, and public research institutions.

With the launch of the AI Robot Kit, SKT expects more than double annual sales growth by enabling customer-tailored services at an affordable cost. SKT plans to expand the distribution of the robot kit through various promotions and competitive pricing policies.