CLOi going to the race track, as LG Electronics tests bot at site

LG Electronics' CLOi Guidebot stands at the front desk of Seoul Race Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi. [LG ELECTRONICS]

A horse racing track is the latest site for LG Electronics to test its robot guides.

The company announced Thursday that its CLOi robot will escort people to their desired location at Seoul Race Park in Gyeonggi, the largest horse racing venue in Korea.

If the visitors prefer to find their own way, the robot will just give them directions and tell them how long it will take to get to the location.

Its 27-inch display will inform visitors of horse racing schedules and details about the Korea Racing Authority, a public corporation in charge of running the country’s racing tracks and overseeing the horse racing business.

The robot will also take on the role of a photographer, as its integrated camera can take a picture of the visitors and send the photos via text message.

For those interested in posing with the robot guide, it will make “facial” expressions when a user selects the button for taking pictures together.

The electronics maker explained that the introduction of the robot is intended to comply with social distancing rules as the racing park is scheduled to resume operations on Nov. 5.

The CLOi Guidebot model is capable of playing a wide range of roles depending on location. At museums, it could be designed to explain artworks alongside the basic function of navigation.

“LG’s distinguished robotics system can serve different needs of our clients,” said Noh Gyu-chan, head of the robotics business at LG Electronics, in a statement.

“[LG] will position itself as an ideal business partner for providing sophisticated robotics services,” he said.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]