Hello, this is Clevi. 🤖
On November 7, we took part in the Citizens’ Day event held at Chuncheon City Hall Plaza with our humanoid robot.
We’d like to share some of the fun and touching moments we experienced while operating our booth. 😊
Once we had set up the booth and positioned the robot, people passing by were already looking at it and saying, "What is that?"
We could feel everyone’s attention immediately drawn to it even before the demonstration had started!
"Does it really move?"
When 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!
"Oh? It really moves?!"
From then on, people started gathering one by one.
I was a little worried about explaining teleoperation technology.
I was concerned that the technical terms 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 was so proud to see the children watching say "Wow!" and applaud, while their parents marvelled and took photos. It made me think, this is why I do this work!
"So this is Physical AI!"
That’s right! You understood it exactly. Since my explanation got through, I was excited and told you even more about it.
"This technology is truly useful in dangerous work environments. Robots can be sent in place of people to locations 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-powered recognition handshake function.
"We fine-tuned an LLM (large language model) and embedded it in the robot 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 your concern. However, the purpose of this technology is not to take away people’s jobs, but to perform tasks that are difficult and dangerous for people. Our goal is to reduce the burden on workers and improve safety."
Sharing a vision for the future
We also talked about the future technologies we’re developing while giving the demonstration.
"We’re developing robots that can make their own decisions and act independently based on AI agents.
For example, even without being told, 'Stand the fallen chair upright,' the robot can assess the situation on its own and stand the chair up."
Other attractions at the event
While running our booth, we also took some time to watch other programmes:
AI Avatar Vision Declaration Performance
The performance featuring Mayor Yook Dong-han having a conversation 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 showcased Chuncheon’s vision of moving forward as an AI city.
Other AI Experience Booths
There were also several AI experience booths next to ours, including voice-recognition AI conversation experiences and AI image generation. It was great to see citizens enjoying the opportunity to experience AI technology firsthand and marvelling at it.
Performance Programmes
- D.N. Girls’ folk song performance: Their fresh, modern reinterpretation of traditional folk songs was wonderful
- Chuncheon City Symphony Orchestra performance: It was a magnificent 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 finale, the Citizens’ Grand Choir, 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 by Mayor Yook Dong-han’s emphasis that "AI must serve citizens."
Clevi is developing technology based on that very 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 so well.
I truly want to support Chuncheon City’s plan to apply AI across every field, including administration, education, welfare and transportation!
Wrapping Up the Day
We met many citizens, and many of them showed interest in our robotics technology. Some asked for a business card, some made business proposals, and others asked, "Could we introduce something like this at our company too?"
But more than anything, what made me happy was seeing that many people felt excitement rather than fear about the technology. I keep thinking about the moment when a child who had been afraid of robots smiled and waved.
What we took away
The importance of citizens’ voices
We heard a wide range of reactions firsthand, from concerns like “Will jobs disappear?” to hopes like “Can we use this at our company too?” These voices seem to motivate us to create better technology.
The importance of explaining things simply
No matter how good the technology is, it’s not useful if it’s difficult to understand. Going forward, 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 smiles and becomes their friend, and the moment a grandmother asks worriedly, “Do you eat properly?”... Moments like these made us think once again about why we develop this technology.
Until next time
The Chuncheon Citizens’ Day event was truly meaningful. Our entire Clevi team had a rewarding day.
If we have another opportunity like this, we’d like to meet even more citizens with more advanced technology. Maybe next time, we’ll see the child who was afraid today shaking hands with a robot? 😊
To all the citizens of Chuncheon, thank you so much for visiting our booth. Your interest and encouragement give us tremendous strength!