Service robotics emerges as the next technology frontier with advancing skills , surging demand These days , visitors to the presidential office in Seoul are getting a taste of the future . At Sarangchae , a museum affiliated with Cheong Wa Dae , a kiosk - shaped robot greets guests with a heartwarming smile . Named Tiro , the machine introduces Korea ’ s culture and gives directions and answers in four different languages when visitors pick a question on its LED screen . Also on display are dancing robots , known as Metal Fighter , and the robotic dogs each called Genibo , which amuse both young and old and offer a glimpse into Korea ’ s advances in the industry . “ Tiro is enjoying explosive popularity , especially among foreigners , ” said Chin Hun - kook , chief marketing officer of Hanool Robotics Corp , which co - developed the project with four university research institutes . “ Chinese , Japanese and other foreign tourists scramble to take pictures of themselves with it . ” For Hanool engineers , Tiro is much more than mindless metal . A couple of years ago , the humanoid was the emcee at a company engineer ’ s wedding . “ It was a fun , very special ceremony , ” Chin said . “ We input speeches into Tiro with a timeline beforehand and everything went smoothly . ” Hanool Robotics ’ humanoid robot Tiro . ( Hanool Robotics Corp . ) Tiro and its peers were installed in September 2010 in the presidential museum , visited by a monthly average of 70 , 000 . They help attract more visitors , save costs on manpower , and more importantly are an advertisement of the nation ’ s cutting - edge technologies that made it a global leader in chips , mobile phones , TVs , display panels , and robotics that combine them all . Korea is the world ’ s fourth - largest robot producer behind Japan , Germany and the U . S . , controlling about 10 percent of global sales in 2009 . Since 2003 , the government has been boosting investment and supporting research and development in the nascent industry as one of the 10 next - generation growth engines . Korea is now more ambitious as the mainstay of the industry is shifting from industrial machines to service robots such as home and office helpmates , robot teachers , surgery arms and other applications in which Korea has a strong potential with its electronics and telecommunications competitiveness . Last month , the Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced a comprehensive package to promote the fledgling service robotics industry . It will spend 30 billion won ( $ 26 . 7 million ) for their development , commercialization , standardization and marketing over the next seven years . In June , 11 consortiums of robot manufacturers and research institutions were selected to conduct six - month pilot programs into which the government has injected more than 2 . 1 billion won . The consortium members included Samsung Techwin , Nautilus Hyosung and Future Robot , the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and Kwangwoon University . Growing market Service robots typically assist humans with dirty , dangerous and repetitive tasks . They are used for household and office chores as well as professional tasks as surgery , navigation , milking , education , rescue , demining and military patrol operations . With the workforce aging and labor costs rising , global sales of service robots are estimated to jump more than 26 - fold to $ 85 . 5 billion in 2018 from $ 3 . 2 billion in 2008 , according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy ’ s data . The global robot market could reach $ 190 billion in 2020 . Around 8 . 7 million service robots were sold globally in 2009 , up from some 7 million year - on - year , according to the Frankfurt - based International Federation of Robotics . Of the total , household robots account for nearly 64 percent and entertainment and teaching robots 35 percent . The Korean market is estimated at 1 . 02 trillion won in 2009 , up more than 23 percent from 2008 , according to the state - run Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement . Service robots and component manufacturing sectors are expanding by 40 percent each year , it said in a report . Despite huge costs and technological limitations , the robotics industry is growing exponentially in line with the emergence of smarter , more human - like inventions with more diverse , specialized applications , the Samsung Economic Research Institute said . “ Service robots will leverage the entire industry ’ s growth , ” the leading think tank said in a recent report . “ Opportunities are still open for Korean companies to lead the market . ” One of the leaders in Korea is Nautilus Hyosung , which has gained a reputation for its brainchild , Fantasia Robot , which served as a guide in the lobby of the city hall of Bucheon , Gyeonggi Province until last year . The 120 - centimeter - tall robot allowed visitors to print parking permits and arrange meetings with city officials with a touch on its LED screen . Fitted with a number of ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner that detects obstacles , it escorted people to places inside the building . The kiosk - shaped creation moves up to 50 centimeters per second and runs for eight hours once charged , said Kwon Yong - kwan , the firm ’ s robot development team chief . “ Fantasia Robot is a mixture of robotics technology and Hyosung ’ s expertise in financial services solutions , ” he said . “ It won huge popularity and interest from numerous visitors throughout the period . ” Robot cleaners Vacuum - cleaning is the most popular sector with companies rolling out cheaper and more dexterous products . The global cleaning robot market , worth $ 506 million in 2009 , is anticipated to reach $ 2 billion by 2016 , according to market researcher Winter Green Research . LG Electronics ’ robotic vacuum cleaner RoboKing Dual Eye . ( LG Electronics ) The Korean market is dominated by LG Electronics , whose RoboKing takes up about 52 percent share since March , according to the company . RoboKing Dual Eye , the fifth - generation model which came out in late 2009 , runs on lithium polymer batteries and carries two cameras and numerous sensors to read surroundings , LG said . The robot sweeps and vacuums 30 percent faster than the previous model , it added . “ The superior quality and our aggressive marketing strategies helped secure the top spot , ” said Lee Ki - young , marketing chief at the home appliance and air conditioning division . LG recently began exporting the RoboKing to France , Italy and Spain , a spokesperson said . It will further target other countries this year . Samsung Electronics launched Tango in November 2009 , an upgrade of cleaning robots Hauzen and Furot . It also has a camera and better navigating system with 13 sensors that recognize items from 2 centimeters away , the producer said . “ The robot cleaner market has bright prospects given high annual growth rates , ” said Park Jong - hwan , managing director of Samsung ’ s consumer electronics division . Hanool is also active in the market . Its intelligent cleaning robot Ottoro was introduced in 2003 . On top of fast and powerful cleaning capabilities , the newest version boasts germ - killing functions and multiple sensors to avoid obstacles , the developer said . The company landed a deal with German home appliance trader Hans Rumsauer GmbH in March to export 20 billion won worth of units of Ottoro . The automated cleaner is now available in seven European nations including France , Belgium and the Czech Republic , Chin said . As the market matures and competition becomes fiercer , prices are going down . In terms of cleaning robots , when Swedish electronics manufacturer Electrolux introduced its Trilobite here in 2001 , few consumers could afford the $ 2 , 000 price tag . Current prices of robotic vacuum cleaners hover between 400 , 000 won and 900 , 000 won in general . Smaller brands offer more reasonable prices ― Kyungmin Mechatronics ’ MamiRobot is priced at about 300 , 000 won and Digix Semicon ’ s Digi - Robo at less than 200 , 000 won . Tiro ’ s prices range between 150 million and 200 million won depending on what function customers want . Diverse applications Robots are widely used for highly technical applications albeit in small numbers . The Korean Army adopted Hanool ’ s military robot Hanuri M 1 several years ago for patrol and fire - fighting purposes . Hanool Robotics ’ military robot Hanuri M 1 . ( Hanool Robotics Corp . ) In April , the venture firm forged a $ 2 . 5 million deal to transfer technologies and jointly develop security and fire - fighting robots with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology , Saudi Arabia ’ s national science agency and laboratories . “ The contract shows that a local start - up can pioneer an overseas market using accumulated technologies , ” a company official said . Samsung Techwin , specialized in digital cameras and optical equipments , won a $ 50 million order in May to test a robotic traffic control system in Algeria . The pilot project aims to install 1 , 700 “ intelligent surveillance cameras ” in the capital city of Algiers to monitor and trace cars . If the North African country agrees after the test , the Samsung affiliate will extend the system nationwide . The total export is valued at 1 trillion won . Samsung set up a similar monitoring model in an oil bunker owned by the state - run Korean National Oil Corp . in Seosan , South Chungcheong Province , as part of the Knowledge Economy Ministry ’ s pilot program . The test - bed facility operates surveillance robots , which are also designed to sense fire or oil leaks and report to the central command center in real time . Robots play drums at the Robot Museum in central Seoul which exhibits some 4 , 200 products from around 40 countries . ( Yonhap News ) “ The surveillance system is a successful model that creates synergy by merging robotics with IT technology , ” said Cho Suk , chief of the ministry ’ s growth engine department . “ We will focus on excavating and supporting such business models . ” In Daegu , southeast of the country , English teacher robots are favorites among elementary schoolers . Teaching robot Engkey stands in front of students at an elementary school in Daegu . ( AFP ) A total of 29 robots called Engkey started teaching youngsters at 21 schools last week in a three - month pilot project aimed at nurturing the promising industry , city officials said . “ We are expecting to build up a public consensus and uplift Daegu ’ s brand image as a robot leader through the pilot program , ” a city official said . “ If the project receives good responses from students , we ’ ll consider expanding the operation . ” Engkey stands one meter tall and has a LED panel that displays an avatar face of a teacher . The white , egg - shaped device is remote - controlled by instructors from the Philippines . They can see and hear the children through the system , officials said . Developed by the Korea Institute of Science of Technology , the robot speaks to students , reads books and dances while wheeling around the classroom . Having robots in the classroom keeps children focused in class and gives them a greater amount of time speaking English , said Kim Mun - sang , director of the Center for Intelligent Robotics at KIST . “ It enables an equal quality of education whether they live in a city or rural area , ” he said . “ Plus , robots take about half of operating expenses compared with hiring foreigners . ” Developers plan to commercialize Engkey once the pilot program ends successfully , Kim added . It currently costs 10 million won but he expects it to be reduced to 5 million won eventually . Incheon said last year that it also planned to adopt robots as assistant teachers at kindergartens . Other municipalities are venturing into other high - tech fields . North Gyeongsang Province , for instance , is heavily investing in a project to develop underwater robots . South Jeolla Province is building an automated management system for agricultural and fishery products . Gyeonggi Agricultural Research & Extension Services opened a robot - controlled plant factory last year . By Shin Hyon - hee ( heeshin @ heraldm . com )