Robot Teachers in South Korea
By the end of 2010, December, 30 robots had been installed in a South Korean city.
Above is Engkey, a white, egg-shaped robot developed by the Korea Institute of Science of Technology (KIST).
The robots are about 3.3 feet (1m) tall with a TV display panel for a face. They are wheeled around the classrooms while speaking to students. They read books to them and dance to music by moving their head and arms.
The robots display an avatar face of a Caucasian woman and are not functioning by themselves. They are controlled remotely by English teachers in the Philippines -- who can see and hear the children via a remote control system. The way it works is cameras detect the Filipino teachers' facial expressions and instantly reflect them on the avatar's face.
Apparently, well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts. Apart from reading books, the robots also use pre-programmed software to sing songs and play alphabet games with the children. "The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person," said Kim Mi-Young, an official at Daegu city education office. She said the robots are still being tested. But officials might consider hiring them full-time if scientists upgrade them and make them easier to handle and more affordable.
The robots cost 10 million won each at the end of 2010/beginning of 2011. Using a currency converter now, 1 South Korean Won is equal to 0.0009 US dollars. Assuming that the economy of South Korean and the US has not fluctuated much since then, the price of each robot would be $9000 US approximately. The four-month pilot program is sponsored by the government, which invested 1.58 billion won (US$1.37 million).
Hmmm.. I guess this is good on some notes. Some some robots may be sent to remote rural areas of South Korea and other countries who maybe shun foreign English teachers or are not popular destination zones of English teachers due to war, famine, etc. The machines can also be an efficient tool for many people who feel nervous about conversing with real people. Though it is arguable is an English human teacher would remember your embarrassing mistake, but certainly an English robot teacher won't. For people who are tired of other people and their problems, robots provide a great alternative: "... they won't complain about health insurance, sick leave and severance package, or leave in three months for a better-paying job in Japan ... all you need is a repair and upgrade every once in a while."
I'm not sure where the switch is located on the panel, but after English class there are dance lessons, too:
Article and information taken from Fox News at http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/28/robot-english-teachers-south korea/#ixzz1pxbj1aHL
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