Seoul showcases extreme robots to boost robot-friendly city vision

Seoul unveils robots for disaster response and citizen experiences to build a robot-friendly future

“Smart Life Week is an international stage where smart city, AI, robot, and climate tech policy come together in consolidation, and a venue where cities around the world design models for the future together. This year’s slogan is “AI for people, smart cities opening the future.” Seoul will translate technological progress into citizens’ happiness and, in cooperation with cities worldwide, open a better tomorrow.”

With an opening address by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the 1st Seoul AI Robot Show 2025 opened on the 30th at COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul. The Seoul AI Robot Show was organized by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), a small and medium-sized enterprise support agency that builds Seoul’s competitiveness as a robot-friendly city. The event was held in connection with Smart Life Week, a comprehensive expo that presents Seoul’s smart city vision and looks ahead to future city models with cities and corporations around the world.

◇Mayor Oh Se-hoon: “AI and advanced robotic technologies must help citizens”

Mayor Oh emphasized advanced technologies such as AI and robots that help citizens, and “solidarity among global cities.” Oh said, “Technology cannot be an end in itself; it must be directed toward people,” and “(Technology) must walk with the socially vulnerable and make citizens’ lives safer and warmer.” This is a philosophy that Oh and Seoul have upheld.

Oh also said, “AI ethics, the climate crisis, and bridging the digital divide are tasks facing every city,” adding, “When cities pool their strength, they can offer answers for all humanity.”

Oh then toured the Seoul AI Robot Show. Visiting the booth exhibiting Sophia, an AI humanoid robot by Hanson Robotics headquartered in Hong Kong, Oh asked Sophia, “What question did you get the most today?” Sophia replied, “People most often ask about the relationship between humans and AI.” Oh also visited the Seoul AI Foundation and the Yongsan International Business District smart city booths.

Running for three days through Oct. 2, the Seoul AI Robot Show presented advanced robotic technologies that go beyond simple corporate exhibits, showcasing robots that make their own judgments and move autonomously in extreme environments under the theme of “extreme robots.”

◇Robots overcoming missions in extreme environments

The biggest highlights of the Seoul AI Robot Show were the “Humanoid Robot Sports Competition” and the “Extreme Robot Contest.” The Extreme Robot Contest, held in cooperation with the Korea Institute of Robot and Convergence, drew 10 teams from major universities and research institutes nationwide, including Konkuk University’s “Dolbot-Y,” Korea University of Technology and Education’s “NOVA,” Kookmin University’s “APX_I,” and Hongik University’s “Maximus.” They competed with robotic technologies that overcome missions reminiscent of real disaster sites across four extreme-environment courses: rough terrain traversal, obstacle traversal, firefighting, and disaster rescue.

An “extreme robot hall” also showcased robots active across four extreme environments—land, underwater, space, and disasters—such as the Unmanned Exploration Research Institute’s lunar exploration robot “Rover” and Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH’s underwater exploration robot “Cyclops.” An “unmanned firefighting robot” under development by Hyundai Rotem and the National Fire Agency was also on display.

Quadruped robots were walking around throughout the Seoul AI Robot Show exhibition hall. They were Young In Mobility’s quadruped robot “A2.” Developed for research, the robot avoided people, occasionally stopped to do a forward roll, and drew cheers from those nearby.

The “Humanoid Robot Sports Competition,” held with the Federation of International Robot-soccer Association (FIRA), is also a main program of the Seoul AI Robot Show. A total of 22 teams from domestic and overseas universities competed in four events: archery, sprint, weightlifting, and stick-toss. Humanoid robots created by teenagers, college students, and researchers shot arrows and ran like humans, delivering dynamic performances.

◇A range of citizen participation programs…aiming to vitalize the robot industry ecosystem

A variety of events also allowed domestic and international robot corporations and citizens to experience and enjoy robots firsthand, including Rainbow Robotics, the top-listed company by market capitalization in Korea’s robot sector.

Programs ranged from contests pitting wearable robots—worn by people to augment physical abilities—against human porters, and AI Go matches, to demonstrations using virtual reality (VR) technology to show how robots affect our lives, and programs where AI conversed with participants to assess their psychological state.

To build Korea’s robot industry ecosystem, a business-matching event between startups and investors was also held. Twenty-five robot corporations and 11 investment firms took part, leading to more than 50 investment consultations. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) plan to go beyond a one-off event and provide a springboard for substantively supporting domestic robot startups.

Kim Hyun-woo, head of the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), said, “The 1st Seoul AI Robot Show 2025 will be not just an exhibition but an important opportunity to leap forward to ‘robot-friendly Seoul,’ encompassing citizen experience, industry, and investment linkages,” adding, “Through this event, we will create a venue where industry, citizens, and policy meet so that Seoul can establish itself as a hub of the global robot industry.”

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-industry/2025/09/30/WBMXGOM6LBD4PLIMMWHTMQ6BSI/