Robot greeter fights coronavirus in South Korea

Checking temperatures, enforcing social distancing and ensuring mask-wearing: a new high-tech 5G powered robot greets visitors to SK Telecom in Seoul.

Caroline Malone reports.

There's an new, high-tech greeter at the lobby of SK Telecom in Seoul, South Korea.

It checks body temperatures, dispenses hand sanitiser, disinfects the floor and can see who is and isn't wearing a mask -- an AI-driven helper in the fight against COVID-19.

SK employee Lim Yeon-June said she's realised how useful it can be.

"At first, I felt awkward when I heard it was a robot doing this.

But when my colleagues and I were talking to each other, the robot said 'please move away from each other for social distance', I found myself walking away and it was really impressive." The robot uses 5G to talk with its server in real time.

An alarm goes off if it detects someone with a temperature over 37.5 degrees Celsius.

It can also see who isn't wearing a mask; while blurring people's faces to protect privacy.

One of the developers Ra Kyhong-Hwan says it could be used to prevent many health problems. "Although it's named the 'coronavirus prevention robot', it's really a robot for any disease.

Even if it's not coronavirus, the robot can be used to protect against outbreaks of other things like influenza." South Korea has largely contained its outbreak - and is transitioning from an intensive lockdown to what officials call 'distancing in daily life.'

The autonomous robot is already helping to speed up people's return to work - while reducing human contact.