2010년 4월30일 한국전자통신연구원 책임연구원/공학박사 조영조
매년 어린이날이 되면 전국 어디서나 과학행사가 의례적으로 개최되고, 로봇은 어린이에게 과학의 미래에 대한 꿈과 희망을 대표하여 항상 등장하는 단골 아이템이다. 이번 어린이날에는 성남 아트센터 미술관에서 ‘로봇아트와 놀이의 세계전’이란 현장 체험 학습형 전시회를 개최한다고 하는데, 카라쿠리 인형과 건담 같은 일본의 로봇 캐릭터만을 대상으로 하고 있어 좀 씁쓸한 기분이 든다.
일전에 필자가 전국의 로봇에 관심이 있는 10대 어린이 40여명을 대상으로 미래의 로봇에 대한 강연을 진행한 적이 있는데, “로봇 하면 떠오르는 나와 친근한 캐릭터는 무엇인가?”라는 질문에 “아톰”과 “도라에몽” 등 고전적 일본 캐릭터만 이야기하고 있어 아쉬운 느낌을 받았다.
사실 현재 어린이들을 포함하여 우리가 TV나 영화 같은 매체를 통해 알게 된 로봇 캐릭터들은 일본에서 나온 것이 대부분이며, 그 뿌리는 역시 데쓰카 오사무의 ‘철완아톰’에서 찾을 수 있다. 우리에게는 ‘우주소년 아톰’, 미국에서는 ‘아스트로보이’로 알려진 아톰이란 캐릭터는 세계평화의 수호신으로 등장하며 2차 세계대전 패배 후의 일본인들에게 희망을 안겨주었고, 일본 과학발전의 신호탄이 된 바 있다. 이어서, 철인28호, 도라에몽, 마징가-Z, 건담, 에반게리온 등 세계적으로 잘 알려진 로봇 캐릭터를 거치면서, 일본은 애니메이션 분야는 물론 휴머노이드 로봇 분야에서도 세계 최강국으로 우뚝 서게 되었다.
미국의 경우, 최근에는 인류에 위협적인 로봇 이미지가 더 강하지만, 영화 ‘스타워즈’의 자율만능로봇 R2D2와 애니메이션 ‘월-E’의 환경 지킴이 로봇 등이 꾸준히 미래 인간 조력자로서 로봇의 모습을 보여주고 있다. 이러한 로봇 캐릭터의 성향을 따라서, 미국은 현재 군사로봇과 가정용 청소로봇 및 의료로봇 분야에서 세계 최고의 명성을 얻고 있다.
이렇듯, 로봇 캐릭터는 로봇과 함께 하는 미래의 삶을 조명해 주기 때문에 캐릭터 산업 자체뿐만 아니라 로봇 산업적 측면에서도 매우 중요한 의미를 갖는다. 즉, 사람들은 로봇 캐릭터를 통해 미래에 만나게 될 신상품으로서의 로봇을 미리 체험해 볼 수 있는 기회를 가질 수 있다는 점에서 로봇 캐릭터는 새로운 로봇시장 창출의 시금석이라 할 수 있다.
지금까지 한국을 대표하는 로봇 캐릭터를 꼽는다면 ‘로봇태권브이’ 단 하나라 해도 과언이 아니다. 1976년생이니 올해로 35세가 되었는데 우리나라 성인의 95%, 어린이의 81%가 알고 있을 정도로 대중성이 높다. 그러나, 생긴 모습은 일본의 마징가-Z에서 얼굴만 바꾸어 놓은 듯 하고, 팔과 다리와 몸통은 다 비슷한데 태권도 품세를 고유 장기로 한다는 면에서만 다르다. 과학적인 측면에서도 우리의 독특한 아이디어가 잘 보이지 않고, 머리에 원격로봇 조정 비행체를 탑재하는 일본 아이디어를 그대로 채용하고 있다. 그래서 인지 모르지만, 우리나라에서 실제적으로 만들어지는 로봇이 대부분 외양 및 기능 면에서 일본의 로봇을 따라간다는 인상을 지울 수 없다.
미래의 창의적이고 경쟁력 있는 로봇 제품이나 서비스를 만들어 내기 위해서는 우리고유의 문화가 반영되면서 우리나라가 강점이 있는 기술요소가 융합된 과학적인 로봇 캐릭터의 등장이 요망된다. 이러한 면에서, 최근 한 로봇 관련 기업이 한국형 로봇 캐릭터의 발굴 과정을 과학적으로 그린 어린이용 만화 “로봇키드 지오”를 출간한 것은 실용적이고 참신한 대한민국 대표 로봇 캐릭터의 탄생을 예고하는 매우 고무적인 일이라 할 수 있다.
앞으로도 작가나 문화계 종사자들이 창의적인 로봇 캐릭터를 더 많이 발굴하여 문화 산업에서의 성공은 물론 미래 로봇산업의 활성화에 더욱 기여할 수 있게 되기를 희망해 본다.
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