Daedong Mobility offering “Docent Chair Robot” program at the Daegu Art Museum
“Would you like to enjoy some art on board an autonomous driving robot?”
Daedong Mobility offering “Docent Chair Robot” program at the Daegu Art Museum
- Available for all visitors until October 6. Autonomous driving Docent Chair Robot is controlled at a central command center to provide customized information using V2X technology
- When visitors get on board and select a piece of work, the Robot automatically generates a route, moves autonomously, and provides audiovisual commentary on the selected piece
- Daedong looking to commercialize its Chair Robot at facilities that require easier movement of visitors and provision of information, such as commercial, cultural, and medical institutions
Daedong Mobility, a smart mobility subsidiary of Daedong Group (CEO Won Yu-Hyun), announced on August 28 that it will be offering an immersive program for visitors using two Docent Chair Robots equipped with autonomous driving and remote control functions at the Daegu Art Museum (Suseong-gu, Daegu) from August 21 to October 6.
Daedong Mobility researches smart mobility technologies, including automation, electrification, and intelligence technologies, to accelerate its development of mobility and robots for personal, last mile, leisure, and gardening applications using five basic driving platforms: ① Ultra-small ② Small ③ Medium ④ Large and ⑤ E-bike only. Daedong’s Docent Chair Robot functions as a type of personal mobility. This new version is a 2nd generation model with upgraded features based on V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) technology to enable centralized control and customized content services. The 1st generation model underwent testing and verification for its autonomous driving technology last year.
The Docent Chair Robot generates the optimal route when a user specifies an art piece on a tablet PC. The autonomous driving function detects obstacles using LIDAR and cameras to either stop or avoid them. It moves to the art piece chosen by the user and offers audiovisual commentary and content the user may be interested in. The Docent Chair Robot is also capable of operating in groups, meaning two or more people can enjoy the same works of art together. In addition to art collections, users can elect other auxiliary facilities such as the lounge or restroom, and move to their desired destination. This helps make the museum-going experience much more comfortable and convenient.
Equipped with a remote control function, all information such as the operating status and location information of the Chair Robot, abnormal symptoms, and malfunctions can be monitored in real-time at the control center. If a problem occurs, the controller can take immediate action to keep visitors occupying the Chair Robot safe and comfortable at all times. The 2nd-generation Chair Robot can carry a maximum weight of 130kg, moves at up to 2km/h when autonomously driven, and has a maximum stable inclination angle of 10 degrees. It can drive at a maximum of 10km/h when driven manually, or it can be driven remotely using an app (wireless connection required).
Daedong believes that the 2nd-generation model, which is equipped with autonomous driving, central control, and user-customized content service features, could prove useful at commercial buildings, cultural facilities, medical institutions, and airports, where users need updates on the move. Daedong also plans to test and commercialize its 2nd-generation Chair Robot for those under-serviced by social support programs, pregnant women, and the elderly, who wish to receive better services at such facilities.
Other applications of the Chair Robot could include a Shopping Chair Robot (moves between stores, offers shopping information), a Theme Park Chair Robot (moves between rides and facilities, provides waiting time updates, reservations, and event information), a Hospital Chair Robot (moves to desired departments within the hospital, shares treatment schedules and severity of conditions), and an Airport Chair Robot (provides real-time boarding gate updates, autonomous driving and transportation, provides duty-free shopping information).
Meanwhile, Daedong Mobility was chosen as the lead company for the “Demand-driven service robot development and distribution project” commissioned by the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement in 2022. As such, the company, along with the Daegu Metropolitan City Government and Daegu Art Museum, participated in Daedong Mobility's Docent Chair Robot experience event to support exhibitions and viewings for people with mobility limitations. All throughout the event, visitors can use the Docent Robot Chair to enjoy the Museum’s collection and special exhibition “Not Paintings,” which features 34 unique artworks by 23 artists.
