Docent Robot Serves As Korean Museum Guide

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It’s always good to bring out a story involving robots, and the folks at the Daejon Museum of Art in South Korea (what, you thought it was going to be North Korea? No way.) are more than willing, apparently, to oblige me as they wheel out the Docent robot, their new museum guide. Or maybe…as it wheels itself out….

Who doesn’t dig giant robots? If you believe the song, no one, frankly, so it’s great to take a look at Docent. Docent may not qualify as a giant robot, but the kids out at the Daejon Museum sure like it, and it’ll be out there until January 14th if you want a look at it. It stands 120 centimeters tall–just a shade under four feet, so you see what I mean about the whole “doesn’t qualify as a giant robot” bit–and it provides “relevant information” as it rolls from one exhibit to the next, accompanied by a gaggle of kids at most every pass, no doubt. Anyway, it ends its tour at a giant plasma display panel and then gets ready to go take on the next one.

It’s not at all hard to believe that the kids love this, and it might well be a smart move after all. After all, what kid in his right mind–or her, we’re equal-opportunity here–would voluntarily go to an art museum? Not many, that’s for sure. But an art museum with a sweet robot doing the guided tour? Now that’s a reason for any kid to want to sit down, shut up and pay attention, that’s for sure. And it could probably get a lot of reaction in museums all over the world; kids aren’t so different the world over, and a cool robot telling them about art would probably keep their interest long enough to get them at least a good footing in the great masters to see if they want to go any farther with it.

Anyway, if you want to see this one yourself, better hurry–it’ll be out about another two weeks.