AI Companion Robot Makes Home Shopping Debut... GS Shop Launches 'Chemi Friends'

AI-Powered Autonomous Navigation, Daily Conversations, and Emergency Calls
Lowering Barriers with Subscription-Based Rentals Starting in the 90,000 Won Range Per Month

GS Shop is introducing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered companion robot for home use, marking the first such launch in the home shopping industry. Targeting seniors who need care, single-person households, and families seeking educational support for their children, the company will offer the robot under a subscription-based rental model designed to reduce the initial purchase burden.

On July 19 at 5:15 PM, GS Shop announced on the 16th that it will sell the AI companion robot 'Chemi Friends' through its TV home shopping broadcast. Chemi Friends is a product developed by Robocare, a company specializing in human-care robots. By applying AI autonomous driving technology, the robot learns the house's layout and, when called, can move to the desired location. The compact device stands 30 cm tall, weighs 4 kg, and operates for up to 3 hours on a single charge; if the battery drops below 10%, it autonomously moves to the charger for wireless charging.

GS Shop introduces a companion robot equipped with AI-based autonomous driving and everyday conversation capabilities. Provided by GS Shop.

The robot features a lifestyle management function, which provides reminders when the user registers schedules such as taking medicine, meals, or hospital visits. Caregivers can check the user's daily records through a dedicated application.

Its conversation capabilities are powered by ChatGPT and proprietary AI technology. The robot remembers previous conversations to enable contextual dialogue and features a display that changes facial expressions depending on the situation. It supports four foreign languages — English, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish — and comes preloaded with cognitive training content and games.

It also offers emergency response features. If the robot detects a fall or recognizes an emergency call from the user, it immediately notifies the caregiver. The caregiver can then remotely control the robot to check on the situation at home or initiate a voice call.

The product is available as a subscription-based rental at a monthly rate of 97,000 won for a 60-month period. During the broadcast, customers who pay up to 3 million won as a prepayment can reduce the monthly fee to 37,000 won. If the subscription is canceled within 14 days after installation, the product can be returned free of charge.

Jun-tae Kim, Home Appliances MD at GS Shop, said, "The AI companion robot is a new smart home appliance that can serve not only as a care assistant for seniors but also as a lifestyle companion for single-person households and an educational tool for children. We will continue to discover and launch home appliances that cater to a variety of customer lifestyles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.