A small vehicle-like object measuring 115.3 centimeters tall and weighing 120 kilograms emerges from a container box. It moves at 0.7 meters per second, similar to human walking speed. The robot can detect its surroundings and stop or navigate around people in its path. Equipped with four-directional sensors, LiDAR, thermal imaging cameras, high-sensitivity microphones, and atmospheric sensors, it monitors site conditions and reports to a central control center. When an official lit a torch, "Fire Detected" appeared on the monitor; when a scream was played through a mobile phone, "Scream Detected" flashed on screen.
This demonstration of the patrol robot "Sunrabot" took place on May 20 in front of Yeonghwadang Hall in Changdeokgung Palace's rear garden, hosted by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center under the Korea Heritage Service. The name "Sunrabot" derives from "Sunragun," the patrol guards who watched over Joseon Dynasty capital areas. The Korea Heritage Service has been conducting a pilot operation of the AI-equipped robot at Changdeokgung since May 10.
The robot's mission is area patrol. It operates for eight hours on an eight-hour charge and automatically returns to its charging station after completing rounds. During daytime, it patrols twice at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. At night, it conducts seven patrols at two-hour intervals. The robot can climb slopes up to 15 degrees.
"The adoption of AI and robots in cultural heritage management is inevitable," a Korea Heritage Service official said.
While patrol robots are already used in various applications domestically, this marks the first deployment for cultural heritage protection. However, the robot is not omnipotent nor a replacement for human guards. Currently, it serves as a mobile CCTV and assists regular patrol staff.
"This is the beginning of a pilot project for 'Palace AI Safety Management' that will change the paradigm of palace security," said Kim Chul-yong, Director of Restoration and Maintenance at the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center. "We are pursuing this to cover blind spots that existing fixed CCTV installations cannot adequately monitor."
Changdeokgung was selected as the pilot site because it features diverse terrain conditions including dirt paths and slopes. The agency aims to evaluate the robot's performance using real field data.
Technical challenges remain significant. The robot cannot operate on grass or when snow accumulates over 3 centimeters or during heavy rain. It cannot cross palace door thresholds higher than 5 centimeters, and object and voice recognition accuracy requires further machine learning refinement.
"Patrol robots are already proving effective at many sites. We expect the technology will be applicable to cultural heritage as well," said Kang Kyung-soon, Division Head at Dogu Space Co., the robot's manufacturer. "We are proud that this product was developed entirely with domestic Korean technology."
The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center plans to identify improvements through field operations until June 9, then determine whether to formally adopt the system and expand deployment to other heritage sites. Each Sunrabot unit costs approximately 80 million won ($58,000).