You Bum-jae, head of the KIST team, said Mahru can move its upper and lower limbs quite freely, and can also stabilize its body when walking on its legs.

According to You, Mahru, programmed to follow a variety of human movements through a highly advanced motion capture system, is South Korea's first robot that relies on its own legs for walking. It can also deal with interference when moving its hands.

The robot can dance to two pop music tunes; and because it "can be operated via a real-time control network," simultaneous movements can be realized, You said.

He added that another type of "Mahru-M," with several sensors in its head, can differentiate faces and other objects, and can also deliver things according to people's request.

The state-run KIST said that the success of the Mahru series pushes further the frontiers of robotics, and one day they may be able to deal with household chores in place of human beings.