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South Korean Startup Uses Worker Motion Data to Train AI for Humanoid Robots
A South Korean startup is recording skilled workers at a five-star hotel, logistics company and convenience stores using body cameras to build a database of human movements. The data will train AI systems for robots designed to perform tasks in factories and potentially homes.
May 12, 4:59 AM·3m read4 sources
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Workers at a five-star hotel in Seoul are having their movements recorded with body cameras as they fold napkins and wipe silverware. The footage is fed into a database that will be used to train artificial intelligence systems for robots. A South Korean startup called RLWRLD is compiling this library of human expertise from multiple industries to develop AI that can control robots capable of operating in factories, warehouses and eventually homes.
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The company is also collecting data from logistics workers at CJ, recording how they grip, lift and handle goods, and from staff at a Japanese convenience store chain, tracking how they organize food displays. RLWRLD's engineers have identified replicating the dexterity of human hands as a priority for developing humanoids that can function effectively in varied environments.
The startup last week unveiled its robotics foundation model, an AI system intended for use in robots. David Park, who has worked nine years at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, is one of about 10 food and beverage team members participating in the recording sessions.
He said he has been wired up with cameras about once a month. During one session he folded a banquet napkin into a tight layered square before wiping wine glasses, knives and forks while colleagues prepared for actual services nearby.
RLWRLD is part of a group of South Korean firms and manufacturers competing in the global market for physical AI, which refers to machines equipped with AI and sensors that can perceive, decide and act with some autonomy in real-world settings. The country is seeking to use its strengths in semiconductors and manufacturing to become an AI powerhouse.
