Hello, this is Clevi. 🤖
On 7 November, we took part in the Citizens’ Day event held in Chuncheon City Hall Square with our humanoid robot.
We’d like to share some of the fun and touching moments we experienced while running our booth. 😊
After setting up the booth and positioning the robot, people passing by were already looking at it and saying, "What’s that?"
We could feel everyone’s attention suddenly drawn to it, even before the demonstration had started!
"Does it really move?"
Once the event began, we started the demonstration in earnest.
The moment I put on the control equipment and raised my hand, the robot raised its hand in exactly the same way!
"Huh? It really moves?!"
From then on, people started gathering one by one.
I was a little worried about explaining teleoperation technology.
I thought the technical terminology might be difficult to understand, so I explained it as simply as possible.
"This robot follows my movements. It learns my movements in real time and reproduces them exactly!"
I felt really proud seeing the children watching the demonstration clap and say, "Wow!", while their parents also marvelled at it and took photos. It made me realise, ‘This is why I do this work!’
"So this is Physical AI!"
That’s right! You’ve understood it exactly. I was excited that the explanation had got through, so I went on to explain it in more detail.
"This technology is really useful in hazardous work environments. Robots can be deployed instead of people in places such as radioactive zones or fire scenes. People can remotely control them from a safe location to carry out dangerous tasks."
Everyone was amazed by the handshake function!
The most popular feature during the demonstration was the AI-recognition handshake function.
"We fine-tuned an LLM (large language model) and equipped the robot with it as on-device AI. You can think of it as a small AI brain inside the robot!"
"If this is used in factories, won’t it take away people’s jobs?"
"I understand why you’re concerned. However, the purpose of this technology is not to take away people’s jobs, but to take over tasks that are difficult and dangerous for people to perform. Our goal is to reduce the burden on workers and improve safety."
Sharing our vision for the future
While demonstrating it, we also spoke about the future technologies we are developing.
"We are developing robots that can independently make decisions and act based on AI agents.
For example, even without being told, 'Stand the fallen chair upright', the robot can assess the situation itself and stand the chair up."
Other attractions at the event
While running our booth, we also took the opportunity to see some of the other programmes:
AI avatar vision proclamation performance
The performance in which Mayor Yook Dong-han spoke with an AI avatar in a virtual space was truly impressive.
It was directed by artist Piony, and the moment when reality and the virtual world came together was quite moving.
It was a stage that symbolically and effectively demonstrated Chuncheon's vision of advancing as an AI city.
Other AI experience booths
There were also several AI experience booths next to ours, offering experiences such as voice recognition AI conversations and AI image generation. It was great to see members of the public enjoying the chance to experience AI technology for themselves and finding it fascinating.
Performance programmes
- Folk song performance by the D.N. Girls team: It was refreshing to hear traditional folk songs reinterpreted in a modern way
- Performance by the Chuncheon City Symphony Orchestra: It was a wonderful performance that conveyed the elegance of classical music
- Solta performance by the traditional percussion group 'Taeguk': It was so grand that the sound of the drums echoed throughout the entire square
The citizens' grand choral finale was truly... moving, with so many people singing together.
The meaning of 'Chuncheon, a leading AI city'
The overall theme of the event was "Chuncheon, a leading AI city". I was impressed when Mayor Yook Dong-han emphasised that "AI must serve citizens".
Clevi is also developing technology based on precisely that philosophy. Not technology for technology's sake, but technology that helps people and improves their lives. I felt proud that the vision of Chuncheon City and our company's direction seemed to align perfectly.
I really want to support Chuncheon City's plan to integrate AI into every field, including administration, education, welfare and transport!
Wrapping up the day
We met many members of the public, and many of them were interested in our robot technology. Some asked for our business cards, some proposed business opportunities, and others asked, "Could we introduce something like this at our company too?"
But more than anything, what pleased me was seeing that so many people felt anticipation rather than fear towards the technology. I keep thinking about the moment when a child who had been afraid of robots smiled and waved.
What we felt
The importance of citizens’ voices
From concerns like “Will jobs disappear?” to hopes like “Can we use this in our company too?”, we were able to hear a wide range of reactions firsthand. These voices seem to be what drive us to create better technology.
The importance of explaining things simply
No matter how good the technology is, it’s of little use if it’s difficult to understand. From now on, we need to think about how to explain technology in a simpler and more approachable way.
Technology is ultimately for people
The moment a child who was afraid of robots smiled and became friends with one, and the moment a grandmother asked with concern, “Do you eat properly?” … Moments like these made us think once again about why we are developing this technology.
Looking forward to next time
The Chuncheon Citizens’ Day event was truly meaningful. Everyone on our Clevi team had a rewarding day.
If we have another opportunity like this, we would love to meet even more citizens with more advanced technology. Next time, might we see the child who was afraid today shaking hands with a robot? 😊
To the citizens of Chuncheon, thank you so much for visiting our booth. Your interest and encouragement give us great strength!