People often describe someone who works so flawlessly that they seem almost inhuman as being “like a robot.” Yet there is a robot that has been deliberately made “less than perfect.” It is “LUDBOT,” developed by the entertainment robot company RUD Dynamics.

RUD Dynamics is a company that entered the robot business this March when the operator of the science and engineering YouTube channel “Geekble” changed its corporate name. It supplies small robots less than 100 cm tall that are dressed in the characters of local governments or corporations, and has so far introduced “Jongdori,” mascot of Jongno District in Seoul, and “Damdori,” a smoking-cessation campaign robot for Korea University.

● “Oops” on short legs… A charm that makes people approach first

At a demonstration held on October 29 in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, a LUDBOT in the shape of Jongdori waddled out on its short two legs. After greeting, “Hi, I’m Jongdori,” it started to walk, bumped into an obstacle, and fell over, whereupon a staff member came over and helped it back up.

RUD Dynamics Executive Director Lee Se-hyung said that while adding wheels would eliminate the risk of falling, a wheeled robot is closer to a car and does not easily feel like a living being. “The moment it walks on two legs and greets people with gestures, people start to treat the robot like a person and call it ‘this kid,’” Lee explained.

The fact that Jongdori does not stand up on its own after falling is also an intentional design choice. LUDBOT originally had a self-righting function, but the company deliberately changed it so that it remains fallen and asks for help.

Lee said, “The moment when people run over and lift it up is when they feel closest to the character,” explaining that this approach is possible because the essence of a character robot is closer to content than to machinery. Sponge material is used for the outer shell to reduce impact when it falls.

Its height is also set below 100 cm for the same reason. According to Lee, some users feel intimidated when height exceeds 120 cm, whereas LUDBOT is often approached and hugged by children first. The company said this friendly image is well suited to the public and education sectors.

● ‘Station’ instead of a camera… More advantageous for branding than mascot costumes

The technical design reflects the principle of not altering the external appearance of character intellectual property (IP). Jongdori has no camera, and only Damdori, which is originally a character wearing a hat, has one camera installed in its hat.

CEO Park Chan-ho said IP owners do not want unfamiliar devices attached to their characters, adding, “Putting a camera in a character’s face is like leaving a scar on its face.”

Instead, the company is developing a “third-person camera station” that places cameras outside the robot. Two station cameras are installed in a space to identify the positions of people, objects, and robots within the area.

Lee cited consistency as the key difference between mascot costumes and LUDBOT. While the impression given by a costume character can vary each time depending on how the person inside performs, LUDBOT can maintain the same voice, movements, and personality, which Lee said is advantageous for branding.

The basic personality and movements of a character are set on the company’s own operational platform “LOX,” while more detailed behavior is controlled via an on-site app linked to the robot-mounted agent “LUCA.” At present, operators control the robot’s movements and interactions through the app, and the company plans to further advance autonomous driving and conversational capabilities.

LOX is a software platform designed not to be tied to a specific robot body. Park explained that as long as the LOX–LUCA system is in place, the same character’s personality and movements can be reproduced even if the hardware changes. If a cheaper or higher-performing unit is introduced, existing characters can be migrated intact onto the new unit.

● Around KRW 20 million per unit, subscription fee under KRW 100,000 per month… Aiming to enter retail in 2028

The sales price has been set at around KRW 20 million per unit. The company also separately offers a lease product that is returned after a 24‑month contract, as well as a regular care subscription service at under KRW 100,000 per unit per month.

According to the company, it has so far supplied or contracted for a total of eight units, including two to DGIST and six to private companies. Park stated that monthly revenue from the robot business rose from the KRW 5 million range in July to around KRW 100 million in both September and October.

Following the public and education markets, RUD Dynamics plans to enter the entertainment marketing market, including performances and pop-up stores, early next year. It has also set a goal of entering the retail market in the second half of 2028 or later, with robots independently handling customer attraction and promotions without managers.

The company is targeting monthly revenue of KRW 1 billion next year and is currently in the process of raising new investment. It plans to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) after establishing a profit-making structure.

Park said, “If an era comes in which every household has one robot, that robot will not be made of hard plastic, but will look cute and friendly like a doll,” adding that the company wants to create robots that turn people’s time into enjoyable and happy experiences.

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