South Korea trials robots in kindergartens to prepare kids for high-tech future
November 25, 2021, 7:36 am

South Korea trials robots in kindergartens to prepare kids for high-tech future

Robot-Modern technology/Pixabay

The Guardian reported that Seoul has started trialling pint-sized robots as teaching aids in kindergartens – a pilot project the city government said would help prepare the next generation for a hi-tech future.

The “Alpha Mini” is just 24.5 centimetres tall and can dance, lead sing-a-longs, recite stories and even teach kung fu moves as children mimic its push-ups and one-legged balances.

“The robots help with the kids’ creativity,” teacher Byun Seo-yeon told Agence France-Presse during a visit to the bright and busy Maru nursery in Seoul.

Remote control robot/Pixabay

The robot’s eyes wink and blink – and its pupils become heart-shaped during conversation. With a camera on its helmet, it takes photos that are instantly sent to a tablet for viewing.

“In the future, knowing how to manage AI and related tools will be very important,” Han Dong-seog, from the Seoul government’s childcare division, told Agence France-Presse.

The robots are being trialled in 300 Seoul nurseries and childcare centres, with the government recommending the programme for children aged three to five.

Han said: “We believe having this experience in nursery schools will have a lasting effect throughout their youth and as adults."

The Alpha Mini has been adopted as part of a daily schedule for the class of four- to five-year-old students at Maru, with its ability to “fart” on command being a highlight during playtime.

Five-year-old Lee Ga-yoon said: “When I tell it to sing, it sings well. I tell it to dance and we dance together."

Source: theguardian

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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