AI location-based audio guide covers 22 exhibition gardens at National Sejong Arboretum — no app download required
The Korea Arboretum and Gardens Institute, an agency under the Korea Forest Service, on Tuesday launched an AI-powered audio guide service — dubbed the "AI Smart Docent" — at the National Sejong Arboretum, covering commentary, navigation and facility information across 22 major exhibition gardens.
Visitors scan a QR code at the arboretum entrance with their smartphones, then receive location-aware audio commentary about plants and each exhibition garden as they walk through the grounds.
No app download is required. Visitors can explore at their own pace without following a fixed tour schedule or route.
The service includes a navigation feature: selecting a destination garden brings up walking directions from the visitor's current location, and the positions of restrooms, rest areas and food and beverage facilities can be checked at a glance.
The institute developed the service entirely in-house, drawing on the arboretum's accumulated botanical data and the expertise of on-site guides to produce commentary for all 22 exhibition gardens. The system is also designed to incorporate real-time updates on seasonal blooms and changes to exhibitions.
During the pilot period, the institute plans to refine commentary content and navigation routes based on visitor feedback, and intends to expand the service to include multilingual audio guides for foreign visitors as well as augmented-reality smart-glasses support.
Further details on how to use the service are available on information boards at the National Sejong Arboretum.
"Starting with this service, we will use AR smart glasses and other technologies to offer visitors a new kind of experience," said Shim Sang-taek, chairman of the Korea Arboretum and Gardens Institute. "Building on the capabilities we developed in-house, we also plan to extend the service to private arboretums that lack sufficient guide staff, so that more people across the country can enjoy botanical commentary with greater ease."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
