Hello, this is Clevi. 🤖
On 7 November, we participated in the Citizens’ Day event held at Chuncheon City Hall Square with our humanoid robot.
We’re sharing some of the fun and touching moments we experienced while running the booth. 😊
After setting up the booth and placing the robot there, people passing by were already looking at it and asking, "What is that?"
We could feel everyone’s attention instantly drawn to it even before the demonstration began!
"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!
"Oh? It really moves?!"
From then on, people started gathering one by one.
I was a little concerned about explaining teleoperation technology.
I worried that people might find the technical terms 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!"
It was truly rewarding to see the children watching clap and say, "Wow!", while their parents marvelled at the robot and took photos. At that moment, I thought, this is why I do this work!
"So this is Physical AI!"
That’s right! You 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 highly useful in hazardous work environments. Robots can be deployed instead of people in places such as radioactive areas or fire sites. They can perform dangerous tasks while being remotely controlled by people from a safe location."
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 equipped the robot with it as on-device AI. You can think of it as a small AI brain inside the robot!"
"Won’t this take away people’s jobs if it is used in factories?"
"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. Our goal is to reduce the burden on workers and improve safety."
Sharing a vision for the future
During the demonstrations, we also spoke about the future technologies we are developing.
"Going forward, we are developing robots that can make decisions and act independently based on AI agents.
For example, even without being instructed to 'stand the fallen chair upright', the robot can assess the situation on its own and set the chair upright."
Other attractions at the event
While managing our booth, we also took the opportunity to watch some of the other programmes:
AI avatar vision declaration performance
Mayor Yook Dong-han's performance of conversing with an AI avatar in a virtual space was truly impressive.
The performance was directed by artist Pionie, and the moment when reality and the virtual world met was quite moving.
It was a stage that symbolically and effectively showcased Chuncheon's vision of advancing as an AI city.
Other AI experience booths
There were several other AI experience booths next to ours. There were voice-recognition AI conversation experiences, AI image generation and more... It was wonderful to see citizens enjoying themselves as they experienced AI technology first-hand.
Performance programmes
- Folk song performance by the D.N. Girls team: It was refreshing to see 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 majestic that the sound of the drums echoed throughout the entire square
The citizens' grand choir at the finale was truly... moving, with so many people singing together.
The significance of 'Chuncheon, a leading AI city'
The overall theme of the event was "Chuncheon, a leading AI city". It was impressive that Mayor Yook Dong-han emphasised that "AI must serve citizens".
Our 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. We felt proud that the vision of Chuncheon City and the direction of our company seemed to align perfectly.
I really want to support Chuncheon City's plan to apply AI across all fields, including administration, education, welfare and transport!
Wrapping up the day
We met many citizens, and many of them showed interest in our robot technology. Some asked for our business cards, some proposed business opportunities, and others asked, "Can this be introduced in our company too?"
But more than anything, what made me happy was that many people felt anticipation rather than fear towards technology. I especially 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
We heard a wide range of reactions directly—from concerns like "Won't jobs disappear?" to hopeful questions like "Can we use this at our company too?" These voices seem to be the driving force behind our efforts to create better technology.
The importance of explaining things simply
No matter how good a technology is, it is of little use if it is 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 smiled and became friends with one, and the moment a grandmother asked worriedly, "Have you eaten?"... These moments made us think once again about why we develop this technology.
Looking forward to the next opportunity
The Chuncheon Citizens' Day event was truly meaningful. Our entire 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. Will we get to see the child who was afraid today shaking hands with a robot next time? 😊
To all the citizens of Chuncheon, thank you so much for visiting our booth. Your interest and encouragement mean a great deal to us!