Starring at glowing rectangles starts at an early age. Children watch then in cars, at home, and now in mobile robotic platforms. The Korea Robot Research Institute (or just Robot Institute) in trying to promote their new "Kiro" bot as a lovable teaching aid for the classroom. The embedded screen (glowing rectangle) displays educational videos and interactive games. Wireless keycards (laden with RFID) activate different programs within Kiro. At least one teacher is claiming higher concentration and creative thinking using Kiro as a tool in her class.
On a related note, The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) is a government funded organization that is studying the effectiveness of robots in the classroom, dubbed "R-Learning" or Robot-based Learning.
Kiro is also being tested as a museum guide that would travel autonomously around and talks about the various exhibits as it moves. The Robot Institute plans on pushing Kiro globally once popularity of service robotics expands. Robotic waiters, robotic pharmacists, and robot heros are quite popular already.
Eavesdropper
