A promotional poster for the fourth Seoul Future Lab Festival / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
As the summer heat settles over the capital, Seoul is transforming one of its tech hubs into a massive, hands-on science playground designed to make cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and drone technologies accessible to everyday citizens.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday it will host the fourth annual Seoul Future Lab Festival on Saturday at its dedicated exhibition center and across the Magok Square plaza in western Seoul. Operating under the theme "A Summer Where Future Tech Becomes Play," the single-day event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering dozens of interactive stations tailored for children and families.
The festival marks a broader push by city officials to demystify complex emerging tech, moving away from dry classroom lectures toward physical, gamified learning. The event features a diverse coalition of municipal science museums, libraries and private tech startups — including AI and robotics firms like UVnex and Yusha.
To handle the crowds, organizers have divided the outdoor plaza into three distinct interactive zones: a Tech Zone where visitors can fly rescue drones and converse with an emotional AI counselor; an Arcade Zone featuring sensor-driven reaction games and a two-versus-two "Robot World Cup" soccer match; and an Atelier Zone dedicated to creative engineering, where children can assemble mechanical claws, experiment with generative AI art tools and build solar system-themed spinning tops.
