Full-scale provision of robot-ICT-based care and education services for vulnerable groups starting in September

Seongnam City (Mayor Shin Sang-jin) will provide care and education services utilizing robots and information and communication technology (ICT) at 69 senior centers and welfare centers in the city starting in September. This project is part of the smart village distribution and expansion project, and is being carried out to create a customized care and education environment for the vulnerable. The city will hold a second-stage commencement report meeting on the 27th and plans to expand the service scope to a total of 100 organizations by the end of the year.

[Korean Today] Panoramic view of Seongnam City Hall © Reporter Na-yeon Kim

Seongnam City announced that it will provide care and education services based on robots and information and communication technology (ICT) at 69 locations, including senior centers and welfare centers, starting in September. This project is part of the ‘Smart Village Distribution and Expansion Project’ and aims to provide customized services for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and children.

In the first phase of the project, a total of 328 smart devices were installed in 69 institutions, including 13 welfare centers and 32 senior centers in the district. The installed smart devices include cognitive training robots, autonomous quarantine management systems, video conferencing systems, and smart mirrors. Through these, we plan to provide ICT-based leisure and welfare services to the elderly, and robot-based education and care services to children.

The cognitive training robot measures the health status of the elderly without face-to-face contact and provides customized content that helps brain activity. In addition, various programs to promote the health of the elderly are planned to be operated through equipment such as virtual experience sports and smart tables. These programs support the daily lives of the vulnerable class and aim to improve the quality of welfare services in the community.

The city held a second-stage commencement report meeting on the 27th to review the status of smart device installation and discuss future operational activation plans. In the second-stage project, an additional 456 smart devices will be installed in a total of 100 locations, including 75 locations per route, by the end of the year. In addition, data platform advancement and IT senior worker training will also be promoted in parallel to secure the sustainability of smart services.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said, “Through this smart village distribution and expansion project, we aim to provide care and education services utilizing robots and ICT technology, thereby ensuring the safety and comfort of the elderly and creating a more innovative and efficient educational environment for children.” Seongnam City plans to continue to accelerate the expansion of smart services for vulnerable groups.

The Seongnam City Smart Village Distribution and Expansion Project is worth a total of 12.6 billion won, including 10.1 billion won in national funds, and will be implemented until 2025. This project was selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT’s public offering in 2022, and Seongnam City aims to expand care and education services for residents’ living facilities using robots.

A Seongnam City official said, “Through the second phase commencement report meeting, we plan to reflect the opinions of residents’ living facility staff and users as much as possible and provide ICT technology-based smart services that citizens can experience directly in their daily lives.”