Robot Torch Bearers

[Anchor Lead]

The torch relay for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics is going strong as we count down the days until the games begin. In Daejeon, robots took part in the relay. A robot designed to transport people also made its debut as a torch bearer.

[Pkg]

The vehicle stops and picks up a torch bearer. But the driver is not a person but a robot. A robot has taken part in the torch relay for the first time in Olympic history.

[Soundbite] Prof. Dennis Hong (University of California) : "The ride may not be the most comfortable because the robot was not built for driving. It's designed as a disaster relief robot and I think it pulled off the torch relay pretty successfully."

The torch is then handed to another robot, named Hubo. Facing an obstacle, Hubo extends its fist but ends up losing balance. Then it takes out a drill saw to cut through the wooden plank and successfully hands over the Olympic flame. Also in Daejeon, a transportation robot named "FX-2" made its public debut by taking part in the relay. The robot carried a middle school science loving student on its seat and carried the torch together.

[Soundbite] Lee Jeong-jae (Middle School Student on Board FX-2) : "I want to develop technologies such as the FX-2 and become a leading Korean scientist."

FX-2 is a huge robot, standing 2.5 meters tall and weighing 280 kilograms. But thanks to its sensor arms, it can freely move about.

[Soundbite] Prof. Oh Jun-ho (KAIST, Developer of Hubo, FX) : "People control the sensor arms and enable movement and the robot follows. In this sense, it's a completely different robotic model from the past."

A robot torch relay on ground has taken place for the first time ever in Olympic history. It served as an opportunity to promote Korea's advanced robotics technology to the world and also further heat up the PyeongChang Olympics fever.