Campus/People
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KAIST to Collaborate with AT&C to Take Dominance over Dementia
< Photo 1. (From left) KAIST Dean of the College of Natural Sciences Daesoo Kim, KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, AT&C Chairman Ki Tae Lee, AT&C CEO Jong-won Lee >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on January 9th that it signed a memorandum of understanding for a comprehensive mutual cooperation with AT&C (CEO Jong-won Lee) at its Seoul Dogok Campus to expand research investment and industry-academia cooperation in preparation for the future cutting-edge digital bio era.
Senile dementia is a rapidly increasing brain disease that affects 10% of the elderly population aged 65 and older, and approximately 38% of those aged 85 and older suffer from dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common dementia in the elderly and its prevalence has been increasing rapidly in the population of over 40 years of age. However, an effective treatment is yet to be found.
The Korean government is investing a total of KRW 1.1 trillion in dementia R&D projects from 2020 to 2029, with the goal of reducing the rate of increase of dementia patients by 50%. Since it takes a lot of time and money to develop effective and affordable medicinal dementia treatments, it is urgent to work on the development of digital treatments for dementia that can be applied more quickly.
AT&C, a digital healthcare company, has already received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its device for antidepressant treatment based on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using magnetic fields and is selling it domestically and internationally. In addition, it has developed the first Alzheimer's dementia treatment device in Korea and received MFDS approval for clinical trials. After passing phase 1 to evaluate safety and phase 2 to test efficacy on some patients, it is currently conducting phase 3 clinical trials to test efficacy on a larger group of patients.
This dementia treatment device is equipped with a system that combines non-invasive electronic stimulations (TMS electromagnetic stimulator) and digital therapeutic prescription (cognitive learning programs) to provide precise, automated treatment by applying AI image analysis and robotics technology.
Through this agreement, KAIST and AT&C have agreed to cooperate with each other in the development of innovative digital treatment equipment for brain diseases. Through research collaboration with KAIST, AT&C will be able to develop technology that can be widely applied to Parkinson's disease, stroke, mild cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, etc., and will develop portable equipment that can improve brain function and prevent dementia at home by utilizing KAIST's wearable technology.
To this end, AT&C plans to establish a digital healthcare research center at KAIST by supporting research personnel and research expenses worth approximately 3 billion won with the goal of developing cutting-edge digital equipment within 3 years.
The digital equipment market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 22.1% from 2023 to 2033, reaching a market size of $1.9209 trillion by 2033.
< Photo 2. (From left) Dean of the KAIST College of Natural Sciences Daesoo Kim, Professor Young-joon Lee, Professor Minee Choi of the KAIST Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, Chairman Ki Tae Lee, CEO Jong-won Lee, and Headquarters Director Ki-yong Na of AT&C >
CEO Jong-won Lee said, “AT&C is playing a leading role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease using TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) technology. Through this agreement with KAIST, we will do our best to create a new paradigm for brain disease treatment and become a platform company that can lead future medical devices and medical technology.”
Former Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Ki Tae Lee, a strong supporter of this R&D project, said, “Through this agreement with KAIST, we plan to prepare for a new future by combining the technologies AT&C has developed so far with KAIST’s innovative and differentiated technologies.”
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee emphasized, “Through this collaboration, KAIST expects to build a world-class digital therapeutics infrastructure for treating brain diseases and contribute greatly to further strengthening Korea’s competitiveness in the biomedical field.”
The signing ceremony was attended by KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, the Dean of KAIST College of Natural Sciences Daesoo Kim, AT&C CEO Lee Jong-won, and the current Chairman of AT&C, Ki Tae Lee, former Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics.
2025.01.09 View 3229 -
“Cross-Generation Collaborative Labs” for Semiconductor, Chemistry, and Computer Science Opened
< Photo of Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo (center) of the School of Electrical Engineering at the signboard unveiling ceremony >
KAIST held a ceremony to mark the opening of three additional ‘Cross-Generation Collaborative Labs’ on the morning of January 7th, 2025.
The “Next-Generation AI Semiconductor System Lab” by Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo of the School of Electrical Engineering, the “Molecular Spectroscopy and Chemical Dynamics Lab” by Professor Sang Kyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry, and the “Advanced Data Computing Lab” by Professor Sue Bok Moon of the School of Computer Science are the three new labs given the honored titled of the “Cross-Generation Collaborative Lab”.
The Cross-Generation Collaborative Lab is KAIST’s unique system that was set up to facilitate the collaboration between retiring professors and junior professors to continue the achievements and know-how the elders have accumulated over their academic career. Since its introduction in 2018, nine labs have been named to be the Cross-Generation Labs, and this year’s new addition brings the total up to twelve.
The ‘Next-Generation AI Semiconductor System Lab’ led by Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo will be operated by Professor Joo-Young Kim of the same school.
Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo is a world-renowned scholar with outstanding research achievements in the field of on-device AI semiconductor design. Professor Joo-Young Kim is an up-and-coming researcher studying large language models and design of AI semiconductors for server computers, and is currently researching technologies to design PIM (Processing-in-Memory), a core technology in the field of AI semiconductors.
Their research goal is to systematically collaborate and transfer next-generation AI semiconductor design technology, including brain-mimicking AI algorithms such as deep neural networks and generative AI, to integrate core technologies, and to maximize the usability of R&D outputs, thereby further solidifying the position of Korean AI semiconductor companies in the global market.
Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo said, “I believe that, we will be able to present a development direction of for the next-generation AI semiconductors industries at home and abroad through collaborative research and play a key role in transferring and expanding global leadership.”
< Professor Sang Kyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry (middle), at the signboard unveiling ceremony for his laboratory >
The “Molecular Spectroscopy and Chemical Dynamics Laboratory”, where Professor Sang Kyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry is in charge, will be operated by Professor Tae Kyu Kim of the same department, and another professor in the field of spectroscopy and dynamics will join in the future.
Professor Sang Kyu Kim has secured technologies for developing unique experimental equipment based on ultrashort lasers and supersonic molecular beams, and is a world leader who has been creatively pioneering new fields of experimental physical chemistry.
The research goal is to describe chemical reactions and verify from a quantum mechanical perspective and introduce new theories and technologies to pursue a complete understanding of the principles of chemical reactions. In addition, the accompanying basic scientific knowledge will be applied to the design of new materials.
Professor Sang Kyu Kim said, “I am very happy to be able to pass on the research infrastructure to the next generation through this system, and I will continue to nurture it to grow into a world-class research lab through trans-generational collaborative research.”
< Photo of Professor Sue Bok Moon (center) at the signboard unveiling ceremony by the School of Computing >
Lastly, the “Advanced Data Computing Lab” led by Professor Sue Bok Moon is joined by Professor Mee Young Cha of the same school and Professor Wonjae Lee of the Graduate School of Culture Technology.
Professor Sue Bok Moon showed the infinite possibilities of large-scale data-based social network research through Cyworld, YouTube, and Twitter, and had a great influence on related fields beyond the field of computer science.
Professor Mee Young Cha is a data scientist who analyzes difficult social issues such as misinformation, poverty, and disaster detection using big data-based AI. She is the first Korean to be recognized for her achievements as the director of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, a world-class basic science research institute. Therefore, there is high expectation for synergy effects from overseas collaborative research and technology transfer and sharing among the participating professors of the collaborative research lab. Professor Wonjae Lee is researching dynamic interaction analysis between science and technology using structural topic models.
They plan to conduct research aimed at improving the analysis and understanding of negative influences occurring online, and in particular, developing a hateful precursor detection model using emotions and morality to preemptively block hateful expressions.
Professor Sue Bok Moon said, “Through this collaborative research lab, we will play a key role in conducting in-depth collaborative research on unexpected negative influences in the AI era so that we can have a high level of competitiveness worldwide.”
The ceremonies for the unveiling of the new Cross-Generation Collaborative Lab signboard were held in front of each lab from 10:00 AM on the 7th, in the attendance of President Kwang Hyung Lee, Senior Vice President for Research Sang Yup Lee, and other key officials of KAIST and the new staff members to join the laboratories.
2025.01.07 View 3184 -
Dongwon Group Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul Donates a Total of 54.4 Billion Won to KAIST
- Dongwon Group Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul, following his 2020 donation of 50 billion won, donates an additional 4.4 billion won to strengthen the AI education and research infrastructure
- The additional donation of 4.4 billion won will be used to build a new AI education and research building
- “In the AI era, there will be a new future in the sea of data. Please become the world’s No. 1 research group.” - Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul
< Photo 1. Kim Jae-chul, Honorary Chairman of Dongwon Group >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 6th of January that Dongwon Group's Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul has pledged an additional development fund of 4.4 billion won to strengthen the AI education and research infrastructure. This is his second donation following the 50 billion won donated in 2020.
In 2020, Chairman Kim expressed his hope that KAIST acquire the highest level of capabilities in the field of AI by establishing the "Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI" with his donation. Upon hearing that KAIST's AI research level was ranked fifth in the world, Chairman Kim asked that it be raised to first.
In response to Chairman Kim's request, President Kwang Hyung Lee explained, "The number of AI professors at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), currently ranked first in the world, is 45. To surpass this, the KAIST AI Graduate School's faculty should be expanded from its current level of 20 to 50, and a research building should be built so that they can focus on research." Chairman Kim responded, "I'll build that building for you, so don’t worry about that."
KAIST will use 48.3 billion won of the donated funds to build an education and research building with a total floor area of 18,182㎡ (5,500 pyeong) on eight floors above ground and one floor below ground. The new building, which is scheduled to be completed in February 2028, is expected to be a world-class educational research facility that can house 50 professors and 1,000 students.
Chairman Kim said, “When I was young, I looked for the future of Korea in the blue ocean of the world, but in the AI era, a new future will be in the ocean of data,” and explained the purpose of the donation, saying, “I hope that Korea will be able to lead the era of the 4th industrial revolution by fostering global core talents who can leap forward as leaders in the era of data exploration.”
President Kwang Hyung Lee said, “I respect Chairman Kim’s decision to open a new horizon for fostering next-generation scientific talents who will lead the world. KAIST will grow the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI into the world’s No. 1 AI research group, just as Chairman Kim wishes.”
Meanwhile, with this donation, President Kwang Hyung Lee has raised 261.2 billion won in donations during his tenure (1,400 days), raising an average of 186 million won per day.
2025.01.06 View 2334 -
KAIST Opens Newly Expanded Center for Contemplative Research in Collaboration with Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department
KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on January 2nd that it would hold an opening ceremony for the expanded KAIST Center for Contemplative Research (Director Wan Doo Kim) at the Creativity Learning Building on its Daejeon campus on January 3 (Friday).
Established in 2018 with the mission of "integrating meditation and science for the happiness and prosperity of humanity," the KAIST Center for Contemplative Research has been expanding its scope of research into the neuroscience of meditation and training empathetic educators who will lead the field of meditation science in collaboration with the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, which was established in 2022.
Supported by the Plato Academy Foundation and with funding from SK Discovery for the facility’s expansion, the center now occupies an extended space on the 5th floor of the Creativity Learning Center. The new facilities include: ▲ Advanced Research Equipment ▲ Meditation Science Laboratories ▲ VR/XR-Based Meditation Experience Rooms ▲ A Large Digital Art Meditation Hall ▲ Personal Meditation Halls.
Particularly, the center plans to conduct next-generation meditation research using cutting-edge technologies such as: ▲ Brain-Computer Interface Technology ▲ Meditation Wearable Devices ▲ Metaverse-Based Meditation Environments.
The opening ceremony, scheduled for the morning of January 3 (Friday), was attended by key figures, including Plato Academy Foundation Chairman Chang-Won Choi, MindLab CEO Professor Seong-Taek Cho, Bosung Group Vice President Byung-Chul Lee, and KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee.
The event began with a national moment of silence to honor the victims of the recent Jeju Air passenger accident. It included a progress report by the center director, a lecture by Professor Jaeseung Jeong, panel discussions, and more.
Following a tour of the expanded facilities, the center hosted a 20-minute hands-on meditation science session using *Looxid Labs EEG devices for the first 50 participants.
*Looxid Labs EEG Device: A real-time brainwave measurement device developed by KAIST startup Looxid Labs that enables users to experience efficient and AI-powered data-driven meditation science practice (Looxid Labs website: https://looxidlabs.com/).
During the ceremony, Director of the Center for Contemplative Research Wan Doo Kim presented on "The Mission, Vision, and Future of the KAIST Center for Contemplative Research." Yujin Lee, a combined master’s and doctoral researcher from the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, shared insights on "The Latest Trends in Meditation Science Research."
A panel discussion and Q&A session on "The Convergence of Meditation and Brain and Cognitive Sciences" followed featuring Professors Jaeseung Jeong, HyungDong Park (Brain and Cognitive Sciences), and Jiyoung Park (Digital Humanities and Social Sciences).
Director Wan Doo Kim commented, “With this expanded opening, we aim to offer advanced meditation programs integrating brain and cognitive sciences and cutting-edge technology not only to KAIST members but also to the general public interested in meditation. We will continue to dedicate ourselves to interdisciplinary research between meditation and science.”
2025.01.03 View 2471 -
KAIST Wins CES 2025 Innovation Award, Showcasing Innovative Technologies
KAIST will showcase innovative technologies at the world’s largest technology fair, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025). In addition, KAIST startups VIRNECT Inc., Standard Energy Inc., A2US Inc., and Panmnesia, Inc. won the 2025 CES Innovation Awards.
< Image 1. 3D-Graphical Profile of CES 2025 KAIST Exhibition Booth >
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on the 31st that it will operate a 140㎡ standalone booth at CES Eureka Park, which will be held in Las Vegas, USA from January 7th to 10th next year, to showcase KAIST's innovative technologies to global companies and investors.
KAIST startups VIRNECT, Standard Energy, A2US, and Panmnesia, Inc. won the 2025 CES Innovation Awards. ▴VIRNECT won the Innovation Award in the ‘Industrial Equipment and Machinery’ category for ‘VisionX’, an AI-based smart glass for industrial sites; ▴Standard Energy Co., Ltd. won the Innovation Award in the ‘Smart City’ category for developing the world’s first vanadium-ion battery; ▴A2US won the Innovation Award in the ‘Environment & Energy’ category for its portable air purifier that eliminates bacteria, odors, and fine dust in the air with just water droplets; ▴Panmnesia, Inc. won the Innovation Award in the ‘Computer Peripherals and Accessories’ category for its ‘CXL-based GPU Memory Expansion Kit’ that can drastically reduce the cost of building AI infrastructure.
< Image 2. (From left on the top row) VIRNECT, Standard Energy, (From left on the bottom row) A2US, Panmnesia, Inc. >
This exhibition will feature 15 startups that are standing out in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, mobility, and sustainability. In particular, AI-based deep tech startups in various industries such as logistics, architecture, and medicine will take up half of the total, showcasing the companies’ innovative AI technologies.
Polyphenol Factory Co.,Ltd introduces ‘Grabity’, a hair loss shampoo launched domestically, which applies the patented ingredient ‘LiftMax 308™’ that forms an instantaneous protective layer on the hair during the shampooing process. A real-time demonstration will be held at this exhibition hall so that visitors can experience the effects of the ingredient directly, and plans to enter the global market starting with the launch on Amazon in the US in January 2025.
VIRNECT will present ‘VisionX’, a prototype that won the Innovation Award this time. The product provides a chatbot AI through an AI voice interface, and has a function that allows users to check the status of the equipment in real time through conversations with the AI and receive troubleshooting guidance through voice conversations, so users can experience it directly at the KAIST Hall.
‘Standard Energy’ plans to exhibit ‘Energy Tile’, an indoor ESS that utilizes the world’s first vanadium ion battery (hereinafter referred to as VIB). VIB is absolutely safe from fire and has high installation flexibility, so it can be applied to smart cities and AI data centers.
‘A2US’ is the only company in the world that has hydroxyl radical water production technology, and won the Innovation Award for its first product, an air purifier. In the future, it is expected to be widely commercialized in air and water purification, smart farms, food tech, and semiconductor cleaning using safe and environmentally friendly hydroxyl radical water.
Panmnesia, Inc. won the CES Innovation Award for its GPU memory expansion solution equipped with its CXL 3.1 IP. By connecting a memory expansion device using Panmnesia’s CXL IP, the GPU’s memory capacity can be expanded to the terabyte level. Following the Innovation Award for ‘CXL-equipped AI Accelerator’ at CES 2024 last year, it is the only company to have won the Innovation Award for its AI-oriented CXL solution for two consecutive years.
In addition, technologies from a total of 15 companies will be introduced, including ▴Omelet ▴NEXTWAVE ▴Planby Technologies ▴Cosmo Bee ▴ImpactAI ▴Roen Surgical ▴DIDEN Roboticss ▴Autopedia ▴OAQ ▴HydroXpand ▴BOOKEND ▴Sterri.
On the central stage of the KAIST Hall, KAIST students selected as CES Student Supporters will conduct interviews with participating companies and promote the companies' innovative technologies and solutions. On the 8th, from 5 PM to 7 PM, a KAIST NIGHT event will be held where pre-invited investors and participating companies can network.
Keon Jae Lee, the head of the Institute of Technology Value Creation, said, “Through CES 2025, we will showcase innovative technologies and solutions from startups based on KAIST’s deep science and deep tech, and lead commercialization in cutting-edge technology fields such as AI, robotics, mobility, and environment/energy. KAIST plans to further promote technology commercialization by supporting the growth and marketing of innovative startups through the Institute of Technology Value Creation and by strengthening global networks and expanding cooperation opportunities.”
2024.12.31 View 4214 -
KAIST Awarded Presidential Commendation for Contributions in Software Industry
- At the “25th Software Industry Day” celebration held in the afternoon on Monday, December 2nd, 2024 at Yangjae L Tower in Seoul
- KAIST was awarded the “Presidential Commendation” for its contributions for the advancement of the Software Industry in the Group Category
- Korea’s first AI master’s and doctoral degree program opened at KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI
- Focus on training non-major developers through SW Officer Training Academy "Jungle", Machine Learning Engineer Bootcamp, etc., talents who can integrate development and collaboration, and advanced talents in the latest AI technologies.
- Professor Minjoon Seo of KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI received Prime Minister’s Commendation for his contributions for the advancement of the software industry.
< Photo 1. Professor Kyung-soo Kim, the Senior Vice President for Planning and Budget (second from the left) and the Manager of Planning Team, Mr. Sunghoon Jung, stand at the stage after receiving the Presidential Commendation as KAIST was selected as one of the groups that contributed to the advancement of the software industry at the "25th Software Industry Day" celebration. >
“KAIST has been leading the way in achieving the grand goal of fostering 1 million AI talents in Korea by services that pan from providing various educational opportunities, from developing the capabilities of experts with no computer science specialty to fostering advanced professionals. I would like to thank all members of KAIST community who worked hard to achieve the great feat of receiving the Presidential Commendations.” (KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee)
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on December 3rd that it was selected as a group that contributed to the advancement of the software industry at the “2024 Software Industry Day” celebration held at the Yangjae El Tower in Seoul on the 2nd of December and received a presidential commendation.
The “Software Industry Day”, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency and the Korea Software Industry Association, is an event designed to promote the status of software industry workers in Korea and to honor their achievements.
Every year, those who have made significant contributions to policy development, human resource development, and export growth for industry revitalization are selected and awarded the ‘Software Industry Development Contribution Award.’
KAIST was recognized for its contribution to developing a demand-based, industrial field-centric curriculum and fostering non-major developers and convergence talents with the goal of expanding software value and fostering excellent human resources.
< Photo 2. Senior Vice President for Planning and Budget Kyung-soo Kim receiving the commendation as the representative of KAIST >
Specifically, it first opened the SW Officer Training Academy "Jungle" to foster convergent program developers equipped with the abilities to handle both the computer coding and human interactions for collaborations. This is a non-degree program that provides intensive study and assignments for 5 months for graduates and intellectuals without prior knowledge of computer science.
KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI opened and operated Korea’s first master's and doctoral degree program in the field of artificial intelligence. In addition, it planned a “Machine Learning Engineers’ Boot Camp” and conducted lectures and practical training for a total of 16 weeks on the latest AI technologies such as deep learning basics and large language models. It aims to strengthen the practical capabilities of start-up companies while lowering the threshold for companies to introduce AI technology.
Also, KAIST was selected to participate in the 1st and 2nd stages of the Software-centered University Project and has been taking part in the project since 2016. Through this, it was highly evaluated for promoting curriculum based on latest technology, an autonomous system where students directly select integrated education, and expansion of internships.
< Photo 3. Professor Minjoon Seo of Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, who received the Prime Minister's Commendation for his contribution to the advancement of the software industry on the same day >
At the awards ceremony that day, Professor Minjoon Seo of KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI also received the Prime Minister's Commendation for his contribution to the advancement of the software industry. Professor Seo was recognized for his leading research achievements in the fields of AI and natural language processing by publishing 28 papers in top international AI conferences over the past four years.
At the same time, he was noted for his contributions to enhancing the originality and innovation of language model research, such as △knowledge encoding, △knowledge access and utilization, and △high-dimensional inference performance, and for demonstrating leadership in the international academic community.
President Kwang Hyung Lee of KAIST stated, “Our university will continue to do its best to foster software talents with global competitiveness through continuous development of cutting-edge curriculum and innovative degree systems.”
2024.12.03 View 4207 -
KAIST Office of Global Initiative Hosts 2024 Global Startup Internship Seminar
< Photo of ImpriMed CEO Sungwon Lim’s lecture >
The Office of Global Initiative at KAIST successfully hosted the 2024 Global Startup Internship Seminar (GSIS) from Wednesday, November 20, to Friday, November 22.
Now in its third year, following the 2022 Global Startup Internship Fair, the GSIS aims to introduce KAIST students to internship opportunities at U.S.-based startups and encourage participation in global internship programs, particularly for students with entrepreneurial aspirations. This year’s seminar featured notable startups including ImpriMed, a precision medical AI company; Klleon, an AI culture tech firm; and Bear Robotics, renowned for its autonomous serving robots. Approximately 80 KAIST students attended the event through prior registration.
A key highlight of this year’s seminar was the participation of the CEOs from Bear Robotics and ImpriMed, two prominent Silicon Valley startups. Both CEOs, who had previously participated in the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (GESS) last June, offered insights into their companies, provided one-on-one career counseling sessions, and discussed the concept of global entrepreneurship with students interested in U.S. startup internships.
In addition to company presentations, the seminar offered practical workshops on resume and email writing tailored for U.S. internships, testimonials from current KAIST students and alumni who interned at Silicon Valley startups, and a J1 Visa Information Session, all aimed at preparing students for internships in the United States.
So Young Kim, Vice President of the International Office and Director of the Office of Global Initiative, expressed her hopes for the event, stating, “through this event, KAIST students will be inspired by the global entrepreneurial spirit of mentors who have started businesses abroad, and that it will help further spread a culture of challenging adversity and overcoming the risks of failure.” She further added that KAIST is committed to continuously developing programs that cultivate a global entrepreneurial mindset among its students.
The 2024 Global Startup Internship Seminar successfully concluded, providing KAIST students with vision and opportunities in global entrepreneurship.
2024.11.25 View 1893 -
KAIST’s RAIBO2 becomes the World’s First Robo-dog to Successfully Complete a Full-course Marathon
KAIST's quadrupedal walking robot "RAIBO", which can run seamlessly on sandy beaches, has now evolved into "RAIBO2"and achieved the groundbreaking milestone by becomeing the world's first quadrupedal robot to successfully complete a full-course marathon in an official event.
< Photo 1. A group photo of RAIBO2 and the team after completing the full-course marathon >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 17th of November that Professor Je Min Hwangbo's research team of the Department of Mechanical Engineering participated in the 22nd Sangju Dried-Persimmon Marathon and completed the full-course race (42.195 km) with a time of 4 hours 19 minutes and 52 seconds.
< Photo 2. RAIBO2 after completing the full-course marathon with its official record presented on the photo wall >
The Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon is known for its challenging course featuring two 50 m elevation climbs, each at the 14 km and 28 km marks, making it defficult for amateur runners. This made it an especially demanding challenge for the walking robot, as unexpected losses in efficiency could occur.
< Photo 3. RAIBO2 with the completion medal around its neck >
To prepare RAIBO2, Professor Hwangbo's team developed a walking controller using reinforcement learning algorithms within their proprietary simulation environment "RaiSim". This simulator allowed the team to simlate diverse terrains such as slopes, stairs, and icy roads to ensure stable walking performance.
In particular, RAIBO2's high torque transparency joint mechanism enable the robot to efficiently harvest energy on the downhill slopes to regain some of the energy used in climbing up steep hill.
In addition, the stability of the robot was greatly improved through the collaboration with RAION ROBOTICS Inc., a company founded by the researchers from Professor Hwangbo’s lab.
< Figure 1. Conceptual diagram of power flow employed by the quadrupedal robot >
< Figure 2. The process of leg posture change of RAIBO2 walking at the most efficient walking speed of 3 m/s. By reducing the ground contact speed of the feet, the collision energy loss was reduced, and by minimizing the slipperiness of the foot upon contact, the body's kinetic energy was maintained towards the direction of the movement. >
Due to the nature of walking, pedal robots must employ highly complex systems that can withstand periodic vibrations from the frequent impacts that occur upon contact with the ground surface. Immediately after development, high efficiency was already recorded in short-distance experiments in the laboratory at the beginning of the year, but the manufacturing technology of RAION ROBOTICS significantly bolstered RAIBO's performance in running safely for a prolonged time of more than 4 hours among random pack of people in an actual marathon.
Compared to previous studies on improving walking efficiency, where external parts or software could not be changed and only limited improvements were made in some areas, Professor Hwangbo’s research team cited the fact that they were able to comprehensively solve problems by developing all steps and parts in-house, including mechanism design, electrical design, software, and artificial intelligence, as a key factor in improving efficiency.
Following the development of RAIBO1, the research team developed RAIBO2 and optimized all aspects of the robot. In particular, the team integrated the motor driver circuitry directly into the robot to minimize actuator losses and increase the control bandwidth, greatly improving walking efficiency and stability.
< Photo 4. RAIBO2 running the full-course marathon along human participants >
Choongin Lee, a Ph.D. Student that co-first author of the studies on RAIBO, said, “Through the marathon project, we demonstrated that RAIBO2 has the walking performance to stably execute services such as delivery and patrol in urban environments with many people and random objects,” and “In follow-up research, we will add autonomous navigation functions to RAIBO and strive to achieve the world’s best walking performance in mountainous and disaster environments.”
< Photo 5. RAIBO2 and co-first authors of the related research at the Ph.D. program of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. (From left) Choongin Lee, Donghoon Youm, and Jeongsoo Park >
This research was conducted with the support of Samsung Electronics Future Technology Promotion Center and RAION ROBOTICS Inc.
2024.11.17 View 6519 -
KAIST’s Beach-Roaming Quadrupedal Robot “RAIBO” to Run a Marathon!
“RAIBO”, KAIST’s four-legged robot featuring remarkable agility even on challenging terrains like sandy beaches, is now set to be the first in the world to complete a full marathon.
< Photo 1. A group photo of the research team of Professor Je Min Hwangbo (second from the right in the front row) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering who participated in the marathon event at 2024 Geumsan Insam Festival last September >
On the 17th of November, KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced that Professor Je Min Hwangbo’s team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an upgraded version, “RAIBO2,” which will take on the full 42.195-kilometer course at the "Sangju Dried-Persimmon Marathon".
This is over double the previous maximum distance achieved by quadruped robots, which was limited to around 20 kilometers. The KAIST team has successfully developed a robot that can walk continuously for 43 kilometers on a single charge, completing the course in 4 hours and 40 minutes by following a GPS-guided path on the university’s main athletic field. Through this marathon, the team aims to demonstrate RAIBO2’s walking performance in an actual urban environment.
Previously, most measurements of walking robots’ travel distances were confined to controlled laboratory conditions or theoretical data. This marathon challenge is thus significant in that the robot will run alongside the general public in a real urban setting, marking the first attempt to validate the practical potential of four-legged robots in real environments.
Quadruped robots have shown advantages in challenging terrains, such as ice, sand, and mountainous areas, where they can walk stably. However, limited travel distance and running time have long been obstacles to wider applications.
< Figure 1. Conceptual diagram of power flow employed by the quadruped robot >
Professor Hwangbo’s team designed every component of the robot, from its actuators to its mechanical structure, to overcome these limitations. Notably, they implemented an efficient walking control system based on reinforcement learning using their proprietary dynamic simulator “RaiSim”.
The team also collected and analyzed walking data from outdoor environments, creating a model to address walking losses. This model was then used to iteratively improve walking efficiency over one full year.
< Figure 2. The leg posture change process of RAIBO2 walking at the most efficient walking speed of 3 m/s. By reducing the ground contact speed of the feet, the collision energy loss was reduced, and by minimizing the slipperiness of the foot upon contact, the body's kinetic energy was maintained towards the direction of the movement. >
This is the team’s second attempt. Their first was during the marathon event at “Geumsan Insam Festival” in September when the robot’s battery ran out at the 37-kilometer mark, falling short of completion. The battery drained 10 kilometers earlier than expected due to frequent speed changes as the robot adjusted to the pacing of other runners on the course.
Following the initial attempt, the team focused on technical improvements for a successful finish. They enhanced control efficiency by implementing joint stiffness control directly onto the motor actuator and increased battery capacity by 33% by refining the internal structure. These improvements enabled the robot to cover a maximum distance of 67 kilometers on straight paths.
< Figure 3. Data from completing 43 km on a single charge at the main sports field on campus. Left) GPS data of the driving course used during autonomous running. Middle) Covered distance by the hour. Right) Energy consumption by module >
Choongin Lee, a Ph.D. student of RAI Lab who is one of the co-first author of this study, explained, “Our comprehensive analysis of walking losses in terms of mechanics, electrical systems, and walking methods was crucial to improving walking efficiency. This research marks an important milestone in extending the operating range of quadruped robots to urban environments.”
< Photo 2. A Photo from Practice Run>
This research was supported by the Samsung Electronics Future Technology Development Center and RAION ROBOTICS Co., Ltd.
< Photo 3. A Photo from Practice Run >
2024.11.15 View 3888 -
Team KAIST Crowned Champion for their World’s Best Ironman, Winning their 2nd Consecutive Win at the Cyborg Olympics
< Group photo of our research team participating in the 3rd Cybathlon >
The Cybathlon is an international competition, which aims to help overcome disabilities through the use of robotics technology. KAIST researchers came in third, winning the bronze medal, at their 1st participation in 2016, won their first gold medal at the 2nd competition in 2020, and took back the gold medal at this year’s 3rd competition, successfully defending their champion title.
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on the 28th of October that the wearable robot ‘WalkON Suit F1’ developed by the joint research team of KAIST EXO-Lab, Move Lab, and Angel Robotics, led by Professor Kyoungchul Kong of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Chairman of Angel Robotics), won gold medal in Cybathlon 2024 held on the 27th.
< Seunghwan Kim, the Paraplegic Pilot of Team KAIST, cheering after completing all the missions >
Cybathlon is an international competition first held in Switzerland that challenges teams to develop assistive technologies with the purpose of overcoming disabilities, and is also called the Cyborg Olympics. Right after each competition, the missions for the next competition are announced, and research teams from around the world research and develop the right assistive technology for next four years to accomplish the given mission.
Aside from the Exoskeleton Race, competitions in a total of eight disciplines are held, including Arm Prosthesis Race, Leg Prosthesis Race, and Wheelchair Race. A total of 71 teams from 26 countries participated in the 3rd Cybathlon event. Professor Kyoungchul Kong’s research team participated in the Exoskeleton Race, the same discipline they took part in the previous competition.
The Exoskeleton Race is the highlight of the event that can be called the core of the Cybathlon. In the prosthetic arm or leg events, disabled athletes wearing traditional assistive devices instead of powered devices often win depending more on the ability of the athletes rather than the technology behind the tools.
However, the exoskeleton event requires individuals with paraplegic disability to walk completely dependent on the robotic device to perform various missions, so the technical difficulty and the dependence on robotics technology is high.
In fact, many teams gave up on participating after seeing the missions for this competition, and more than half of the research teams declared withdrawal during the developmental process. In the end, only six teams from Korea, Thailands, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands participated in the actual competition. Even the research team from the Swiss headquarters declared forfeiture midway as the competition date drew nearer.
< Cybathlon 2024 – Exoskeleton Race Mission Description >
The reason why many teams gave up in the exoskeleton discipline was because the difficulty of the missions was unusually high. Most research teams have the skills to make paraplegic athletes walk, but there were many other difficult tasks, such as making them walk without crutches or using both hands, while standing free on both legs on the exoskeleton, to cut a lump of sponge block, as in imitating food preparing process.
The reason why the difficulty of the missions increased like this is because Professor Kong's research team completed all the missions given to them too quickly in the last competition. In fact, in the last competition, there was even a question asked whether Kim Byeong-Uk (paraplegic) wearing the WalkON Suit F1 was really disabled.
Professor Kong's research team developed WalkON Suit F1 to successfully complete the missions. The number of motorized joints increased from six to twelve, and the output of the motor itself was more than doubled compared to the previous model that ran in the competition back in 2020. The 6-channel ground reaction force sensor on the foot measured the robot's balance 1,000 times per second to maintain balance. Cameras were installed to detect obstacles, and an AI board for implementation of AI neural network was also installed.
On top of the technologies required to complete the competition missions, a function was implemented that allows the users to wear the robot by themselves and dock on to it right from their wheelchair. In the process, all parts were domestically produced and all basic technologies were internalized. The outer design of the robot was done by Professor Hyunjoon Park of KAIST, and the harmony between people and robots was pursued.
In the end, the results of the competition were as expected. The only team that could successfully perform all of the mission tasks, which were originally designed to challenge Professor Kong's research team, was Professor Kong's team. They successfully completed missions such as moving by sidesteps between narrow chairs, moving boxes, walking freely unassisted by crutches, passing through a narrow door and closing it behind, and working on food preparation in the kitchen, recording 6 minutes and 41 seconds to complete all six tasks.
The Swiss and Thai teams that took 2nd and 3rd places were all given 10 minutes, but only were able to perform two missions, each earning twenty points. It was an unevenly matched race to begin with. The Cybathlon broadcast team was more surprised and interested in the performance of WalkON Suit F1 than in result of the race.
< Team KAIST’s Paraplegic Pilot Seunghwan Kim (left), and Professor Kyoungchul Kong (right) >
Researcher Jeongsu Park, the captain of Team KAIST, said, “We came into this competition thinking of it as a competition against ourselves to begin with and focused on showing the technological gap. Now, we are very happy and proud that our endeavors achieved such good result as well.” He added, “We plan to continue to showcase various functions of the WalkON Suit F1 that have not yet been publicly introduced.”
Researcher Seunghwan Kim, the paraplegic athlete of the team, said, “I am so touched that I was able to introduce the world’s best wearable robot technology of Korea with my own body.”
On a different note, Professor Kong’s research team has successfully commercialized wearable robots through Angel Robotics Co., Ltd. since the 2020 competition. In 2022, they began distributing “ANGEL LEGS M20,” the first wearable robot to be covered by health insurance, and as a result, Angel Robotics Co., Ltd. was successfully listed on KOSDAQ this March.
The various know-how and core technologies accumulated while preparing for this competition is to contribute to further development and propagation of wearable robots, provoking imagination to draw on the future of wearable robots and on how it may change our daily lives.
Final Match (Self-filmed): https://youtu.be/3ASAtvkiOhw
Final Match and Interview (Official Video): https://youtu.be/FSfxOTpDjSE
Final Match and Interview (Summary): https://youtu.be/Sb_vd5-3f_0
2024.10.28 View 7149 -
KAIST Professor Uichin Lee Receives Distinguished Paper Award from ACM
< Photo. Professor Uichin Lee (left) receiving the award >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 25th of October that Professor Uichin Lee’s research team from the School of Computing received the Distinguished Paper Award at the International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing and International Symposium on Wearable Computing (Ubicomp / ISWC) hosted by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in Melbourne, Australia on October 8.
The ACM Ubiquitous Computing Conference is the most prestigious international conference where leading universities and global companies from around the world present the latest research results on ubiquitous computing and wearable technologies in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI).
The main conference program is composed of invited papers published in the Proceedings of the ACM (PACM) on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT), which covers the latest research in the field of ubiquitous and wearable computing.
The Distinguished Paper Award Selection Committee selected eight papers among 205 papers published in Vol. 7 of the ACM Proceedings (PACM IMWUT) that made outstanding and exemplary contributions to the research community. The committee consists of 16 prominent experts who are current and former members of the journal's editorial board which made the selection after a rigorous review of all papers for a period that stretched over a month.
< Figure 1. BeActive mobile app to promote physical activity to form active lifestyle habits >
The research that won the Distinguished Paper Award was conducted by Dr. Junyoung Park, a graduate of the KAIST Graduate School of Data Science, as the 1st author, and was titled “Understanding Disengagement in Just-in-Time Mobile Health Interventions”
Professor Uichin Lee’s research team explored user engagement of ‘Just-in-Time Mobile Health Interventions’ that actively provide interventions in opportune situations by utilizing sensor data collected from health management apps, based on the premise that these apps are aptly in use to ensure effectiveness.
< Figure 2. Traditional user-requested digital behavior change intervention (DBCI) delivery (Pull) vs. Automatic transmission (Push) for Just-in-Time (JIT) mobile DBCI using smartphone sensing technologies >
The research team conducted a systematic analysis of user disengagement or the decline in user engagement in digital behavior change interventions. They developed the BeActive system, an app that promotes physical activities designed to help forming active lifestyle habits, and systematically analyzed the effects of users’ self-control ability and boredom-proneness on compliance with behavioral interventions over time.
The results of an 8-week field trial revealed that even if just-in-time interventions are provided according to the user’s situation, it is impossible to avoid a decline in participation. However, for users with high self-control and low boredom tendency, the compliance with just-in-time interventions delivered through the app was significantly higher than that of users in other groups.
In particular, users with high boredom proneness easily got tired of the repeated push interventions, and their compliance with the app decreased more quickly than in other groups.
< Figure 3. Just-in-time Mobile Health Intervention: a demonstrative case of the BeActive system: When a user is identified to be sitting for more than 50 mins, an automatic push notification is sent to recommend a short active break to complete for reward points. >
Professor Uichin Lee explained, “As the first study on user engagement in digital therapeutics and wellness services utilizing mobile just-in-time health interventions, this research provides a foundation for exploring ways to empower user engagement.” He further added, “By leveraging large language models (LLMs) and comprehensive context-aware technologies, it will be possible to develop user-centered AI technologies that can significantly boost engagement."
< Figure 4. A conceptual illustration of user engagement in digital health apps. Engagement in digital health apps consists of (1) engagement in using digital health apps and (2) engagement in behavioral interventions provided by digital health apps, i.e., compliance with behavioral interventions. Repeated adherences to behavioral interventions recommended by digital health apps can help achieve the distal health goals. >
This study was conducted with the support of the 2021 Biomedical Technology Development Program and the 2022 Basic Research and Development Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
< Figure 5. A conceptual illustration of user disengagement and engagement of digital behavior change intervention (DBCI) apps. In general, user engagement of digital health intervention apps consists of two components: engagement in digital health apps and engagement in behavioral interventions recommended by such apps (known as behavioral compliance or intervention adherence). The distinctive stages of user can be divided into adoption, abandonment, and attrition. >
< Figure 6. Trends of changes in frequency of app usage and adherence to behavioral intervention over 8 weeks, ● SC: Self-Control Ability (High-SC: user group with high self-control, Low-SC: user group with low self-control) ● BD: Boredom-Proneness (High-BD: user group with high boredom-proneness, Low-BD: user group with low boredom-proneness). The app usage frequencies were declined over time, but the adherence rates of those participants with High-SC and Low-BD were significantly higher than other groups. >
2024.10.25 View 5612 -
KAIST Introduces a Wearable Robot that Walks and Puts itself on to Disabled Persons
< Photo 1. WalkON Suit F1 - walking demonstration >
KAIST researchers have unveiled a new wearable robot developed for completely paralyzed persons that can walk to them so that the user can wear it right out of their wheelchairs without the help from others. Also, it was announced that Professor Kyoungchul Kong's team from KAIST will be participating in the wearable robot category of the 3rd Cybathlon, which is being held four years after the team’s gold medal win in 2020.
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced this new version of the wearable robot for paraplegic people, WalkON Suit F1, by Professor Kyoungchul Kong (CEO and founder of Angel Robotics) of KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering on the 24th of October.
< Photo 2. (From left) Professor Kyoungchul Kong of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Researcher Seunghwan Kim (the competing athlete), and PhD candidate Jeongsu Park (the leader of Team KAIST) >
WalkON Suit is a wearable robot for people suffering with paraplegic disabilities that the research team has been continuously researching since 2015. This robot targets to assist persons with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale – A (complete paralysis) grade injury, the most severe level of paraplegia. Therefore, its development purpose is different from that of other rehabilitation therapy and muscle strength assisting robots currently being supplied nationally by Angel Robotics.
Professor Kong's research team first announced WalkON Suit 1 in 2016, and then introduced WalkON Suit 4 in 2020, increasing the walking speed to 3.2 km/h, achieving the normal walking speed of people with no disabilities. In addition, it demonstrated the ability to pass through obstacles such as narrow passages, doors, and stairs that can be encountered in daily life.
However, it had the same fundamental problem all wearable robots have, which is that they require the help of others to wear the robot. While you can walk without help from others once you are wearing the robot, you needed someone's help to put it on to begin with.
The newly released WalkON Suit F1 presented a technical solution to this fundamental problem. It applied a frontal-docking method instead of a rear-sitting method so that you can wear the robot right away without getting out of the wheelchair and into the robot, which would require help from others mid-transition.
< Photo 3. WalkON Suit F1 - suiting-up demonstration >
In addition, before wearing the robot, it can walk on its own like a humanoid robot and approaches the user. It is also implemented a function that actively controls the center of its weight against the pull of gravity so that it maintains balance without falling over even if the user pushes the robot otherwise. The outer design of the WalkON Suit F1, which crosses between a humanoid and a wearable robot, was done by Professor Hyunjoon Park of the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST.
The original function of the wearable robot has also been greatly improved. The performance of the balance control was improved to allow the free use of both hands in upright state, as well as the freedom to take several steps without a cane.
Technological advancements at the components level are also noteworthy. Through close collaboration with Angel Robotics, all core components of the robot, such as the motor, reducer, motor driver, and main circuit, have been domestically produced. The output density of the motor and reducer modules has been improved by about two folds (based on power per weight) compared to the research team's existing technology, and the control performance of the motor driver has been improved by about three times (based on frequency response speed) compared to the best overseas technology.
In particular, the embedded software technology of the motor driver has been significantly improved so that advanced motion control algorithms can be stably implemented without using expensive higher-level controllers. In addition, visual recognition system for obstacle detection and an AI board for neural network application have been installed.
< Figure 1. WalkON Suit F1 shape and main specifications >
Professor Kong explained, “WalkON Suit is the culmination of wearable robot technology for the disabled,” and added, “The numerous components, control, and module technologies derived from WalkON Suit are setting the standard for the entire wearable robot industry.”
Professor Kong’s research team revealed WalkON Suit F1 and announced that they will be participating in the 3rd Cybathlon, which is being held after four years since the last event. In this competition, which will be held on October 27, Professor Kong’s lab, the Exo Lab will be participating with Jeongsu Park, a Ph.D. Student, as the leader and Seunghwan Kim, the lab’s staff researcher with complete paralysis, as the competing athlete.
The difficulty of the missions in this competition has been significantly increased compared to the previous competition, and the number of missions has increased from six to ten. Some missions have been criticized for being overly challenging, going beyond the level that can be encountered in everyday life.
< Photo 4. Cybathlon stadium (Angel Robotics Asia Hub) >
Regarding this, the team leader Jeongsu Park expressed his ambition, saying, “Since we already won first place in the previous competition, our goal in this competition is to show the technological gap rather than competing for rankings.”
The Cybathlon is a cyborg Olympics held every four years in Switzerland. This competition will be held in a hybrid format, with some participants taking part in Switzerland while others broadcasting live from stadiums in their own country on October 27. Professor Kong's research team will be participating via live broadcast from the competition facilities installed in Angel Robotics' Advanced Research Institute (Planet Daejeon).
< Photo 5. Photo of Team KAIST participating in Cybathlon 2024 >
The demonstration video of WalkON Suit F1 can be viewed through the link below.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/@KyoungchulKong_EXO-Lab
2024.10.24 View 10526