Seocho District to Care for Isolated Households with AI Companion Robots and Urine Analyzers

Pilot Operation of Smart Integrated Care Until December

Seocho District in Seoul (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on October 4 that it will operate a pilot smart integrated care project until December this year, utilizing the 'AI Smart Companion Robot' and 'Smart Urine Chemistry Analyzer'.

AI-generated image of the "AI Smart Companion Robot" used by Seocho District in the Integrated Care Project. Provided by Seocho District.

This project is an expansion of 'Seocho On (溫) Care', an integrated care initiative run by the Seocho Welfare and Care Foundation. Its focus is to strengthen emotional, health, and safety management for low-income single-person households at high risk of lonely death and residents with chronic health conditions.

The AI companion robot, which initially served as a conversational partner for elderly people living alone, now features additional health and safety management capabilities. It includes a health exercise program to promote regular physical activity, medication reminders, and emergency call functions in case of falls. The robot is connected 24/7 to a monitoring center that tracks users' lifestyle patterns and response data. If any abnormal signs are detected, care managers at the local community center and family guardians are notified.

The district will provide the smart urine chemistry analyzer 'YoCheck' to 80 integrated care households that require regular health management due to conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease. This device allows at-home urine tests to measure 11 health indicators, including proteinuria and urinary glucose. The results are automatically transmitted to a dedicated mobile app and a manager dashboard, enabling simultaneous review by users, guardians, and caregivers.

Seocho District has been confirming the well-being of 1,065 individuals through AI welfare call services, single-person household monitoring, the 'Seripul Well-being Call', smart care plugs, and AI automatic reassurance calls. Moving forward, the district plans to partner with local medical institutions to provide tailored integrated care services.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho District, stated, "We will continue to expand welfare projects that combine smart technology and warm care so that any resident in need of integrated care can receive timely support."

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