Dancing Robots Ready to Steal K-Pop Star Moves

South Korea plans to make dancing robot versions of K-Pop groups such as the popular female group Girls Generation (SNSD). CREDIT: SM Entertainment View full size image

A vision of dancing robots modeled on pop stars could combine two of South Korea's greatest strengths — making futuristic robots and churning out a dizzying array of K-Pop groups that sing and dance with almost robotic precision.

The robots would use 20 motor joints to reenact the popular dance moves of K-Pop groups such as the Girls Generation and Super Junior, according to Straits Times. Robot owners would not only get artificial skin to make the dancing robots look like their favorite K-Pop stars, but could also program the robots to dance along with the latest downloaded songs through the Android or Apple mobile stores.

K-Pop music  fans seem divided over the idea of seeing their music idols become androids. Some on the music website allkpop.com have already begun asking for robots based on their favorite idols, but others have labeled the concept as "creepy." A few have even suggested the robots may be abused by "perverted" individuals. [Today's Humans Ready to Love Tomorrow's Robots]

The K-Pop group Super Junior represents one of several pop idol groups that will serve as models for dancing robots.
CREDIT: SM Entertainment

View full size image

Still, the K-Pop star robots would presumably serve as expensive home entertainment — a rather mild step compared to Japanese experiments with synthetic pop stars. Japan's HRP-4 humanoid robot diva previously used Choreonoid software to sing and dance along with human backup dancers in a public demonstration. A synthetic Japanese pop star called Hatsune Miku has also performed in "live" concerts as the hologram of an anime virtual pop star.

The South Korean consortium behind the K-Pop star project includes Dongbu Robot — maker of the Genibo Robot Dog and the HOVIS Humanoid Robot. Dongbu Robot announced the project as a partnership with Intelligent & Recreational Robot and Ocean Bridge E&T, and plans to begin selling the robots by the end of 2012.

Source: Straits Times

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