AI Patrol Robots to Guard Korean Royal Palaces and Tombs

South Korea is enhancing the security of its precious cultural heritage sites with the introduction of artificial intelligence. The Cultural Heritage Administration's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center is preparing to deploy AI patrol robots, aptly named 'Sunrabo,' to safeguard locations such as royal palaces and Joseon Dynasty tombs, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The name 'Sunrabo' is inspired by the 'Sunragoons,' historical guards who were responsible for patrolling the royal courts and surrounding areas during the Joseon Dynasty. These advanced robots are designed to monitor the sites and respond to emergencies. In a recent demonstration at Seoreung, one of the Joseon royal tombs located in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, a Sunrabo robot detected a simulated situation of a fallen visitor. The robot immediately activated an audio alert, informing nearby visitors to call emergency services and simultaneously transmitting the alert to the management office's control center. Building on the successful pilot operation at Changdeokgung Palace in February, Sunrabo is currently undergoing field verification. These tests are taking place at Deoksugung Palace and Seoreung from August 24th to November 30th. The Sunrabo robots feature a unique '2-wheel legged' design, allowing them to adjust their joints and maintain speed even when navigating uneven, unpaved terrain, distinguishing them from conventional robots.

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This is an emergency. A visitor has fallen. Please call 119.