It’s been a long drought for Hanwha Eagles fans. The team won the South Korean championship just once—a surprise victory 15 years ago—and their perennial underperformance has earned them the derogatory nickname “Hanwha Chickens.” The Eagles are so bad that its long-suffering fans, who to continue to turn up knowing that the Eagles will almost certainly lose, have earned the nickname “stone Buddhas,” for their superhuman patience. There must be more than a few who wish they could find an excuse to avoid the depressing slog to the stadium.
Enter, the Hanwha Fanbot. Now, semi-loyal fans can attend a game via a robot proxy that will cheer, chant, and even perform the wave in their stead. The real fan can stay at home and control their bot while watching the game on a smartphone. Fans can even upload their own faces onto the bot’s face-like display.