A massive project is underway in South Korea that would bring the Will Smith movie "I, Robot" to life with the opening of the world’s first theme park devoted to robotics and artificial intelligence.
Slated to open in 2016, Robot Land will include a family-friendly amusement park with rides and attractions, waterpark and hotel, but will also be home to a graduate school for robotics, research and development lab, as well as a residential complex, retail center and condominium.
Spanning 387,505 square meters in Incheon, 30 km from Seoul and 15 minutes from the Incheon airport, Robot Land is a tri-level investment from national and local governments, as well as private developers, and is estimated to cost US$625 million.
Though details remain scarce, one of the main mandates will be to offer more “Asian and Korean content” in order to differentiate itself from other theme parks.
The park will also be a mix of high-tech entertainment and educational attractions.
Robot Kingdom, for instance, will feature a Robot Gaming Arena as well as a pavilion that will demonstrate how robots may be used in the year 2030, particularly when it comes to assisting seniors with housework, medical check-ups, and dementia prevention.
At Robot City, visitors can take a spin on water rides and go-karts as well as take in a completely robotic fish aquarium, which will replicate marine life such as jellyfish, fish and lobster in robot form.
And attractions at the Kidbot Village will include a flying robot coaster, Ferris wheel, Bot Bounce jump ride, merry-go-round of robot animals and education center.
Meanwhile, the city of London also transformed the site of the 2012 Olympic games, Olympic Park, into a community that will house 8,000 new homes, miles of commercial retail space and the tallest sculpture in the UK by the time it’s completed. The 115-meter steel ArcelorMittal Orbit tower opens to the public April 5.
