http://www.physorg.com/news101137020.html
Robot to act as MC at SKorean wedding
A robot called "Tiro" acts as master of ceremonies at a wedding for
Seok Gyeong-Jae (L), one of the engineers who designed it, and his
bride in Daejeon, 130 kilometres (78 miles) south of Seoul. The robot
acted as master of ceremonies at a South Korean wedding in what its
creators claimed as a world first.
A robot will be master of ceremonies for a South Korean wedding this
weekend in what its creators Friday claimed as a world first.
Hanool Robotics said Tiro the robot will assist at the civil wedding
ceremony for Seok Gyeong-Jae, one of the engineers who designed it,
and his bride on Sunday at Daejeon, 130 kilometers (78 miles) south of Seoul.
The firm claims it is the first time a robot has been used as master
of ceremonies for a wedding.
After its marital duties are completed, "Tiro will be upgraded so
that it can be used for various purposes," Hanool official Kim
Dae-Hyun told AFP.
In case a robot MC at a wedding might seem unromantic, Kim said Tiro
-- whose value he put at 200 million won (215,053 dollars) -- would
speak in a sweet female voice.
Other robots will be used to guide guests or give performances at the
wedding ceremony, he said. In South Korea, couples can hold a wedding
ceremony in any location but must then register their marriage with
authorities before it becomes legal.
South Korean robots also get tougher tasks. Last month it was
reported that a robot dubbed OFRO would be deployed as a school
security guard in what was also claimed as a world first.
And last September government officials unveiled a high-tech, machine
gun-toting sentry robot that could support troops along the heavily
fortified border with North Korea.
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((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
