green+transportation
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Renault 5 EV and Canoo’s Pickup Truck Win the 2021 FMOTY Awards
KAIST Future Mobility of the Year Awards recognize the most innovative concept cars of the year
The Renault 5 EV from France and a pickup truck from the US startup Canoo won the 2021 Future Mobility of the Year Awards (FMOTY) hosted by the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation at KAIST. The awards ceremony was held at Renault Samsung Motors in Seoul on November 25.
KAIST began the FMOTY in 2019 to advance future car technology and stimulate growth in the industry. The award recognizes the most innovative ideas for making the most futuristic concept car and improving the technological and social value of the industry.
The awards ceremony was attended by KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, the dean of the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation In Gwun Jang, CEO of Renault Samsung Motors Dominique Signora, and CEO of Canoo Tony Aquila. President Lee said, “The new world order will be impacted by new technology developers who envision the future. Their innovation and creative ideas will open a new world of sustainable future transportation.”
Out of the 46 concept cars revealed at global motor exhibitions between last year and the first quarter of this year, models demonstrating transport technology useful for future society and innovative service were selected in the categories of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Sixteen automotive journalists from 11 countries, including the chief editor of Car Magazine in Germany Georg Kacher and editorial director of BBC Top Gear Charlie Turner, participated as judges.
This year’s award for the best concept car for a passenger vehicle went to an electric vehicle, the Renault 5 EV. The compact electric car was highly regarded for its practicality and environmental friendliness. A pickup truck by Canoo, an American EV manufacturing start-up, won the award in the commercial vehicle category. The pickup features an innovative design allowing for a variety of functions topped with a competitive price and it received overwhelming support from the judges.
While Hyundai Motors swept both prizes at the awards last year and demonstrated the potential of Korean concept cars, Canoo’s win in the commercial vehicle section as a young American venture company brought attention to the changing dynamics in the automotive market. This shows that young EV start-ups can compete with existing car companies as the automotive paradigm is shifting from those with internal combustion engines to EVs.
The awards organizers said that the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation will continue to hold the FMOTY to lead the fast-changing global mobility market. For more information, please visit www.fmoty.org.
2021.11.26 View 5820 -
A Self-Made Couple in Their 90s Donates to KAIST
A self-made elderly couple in their 90s made a 20 billion KRW donation to KAIST on March 13. Chairman of Samsung Brush Sung-Hwan Chang and his wife Ha-Ok Ahn gave away their two properties valued at 20 billion in Nonhyon-dong in Seoul to KAIST during a ceremony on March 13 in Seoul.
Chairman Chang, 92, made a huge fortune starting his business manufacturing cosmetic brushes. Building two factories in China, he expanded his business to export to high-end cosmetic companies. Chairman Chang, a native of North Korea, is a refugee who fled his hometown with his sister at age 18 during the Korean War. He said remembering his mother who was left behind in North Korea was the most painful thing.
“We always wanted to help out people in need when we would earn enough money. We were inspired by our friends at our retirement community who made a donation to KAIST several years ago. We believe this is the right time to make this decision,” said Chairman Chang.
The couple lives in same retirement community, a famous place for many successful businessmen and wealthy retired figures, located in Yongin, Kyonggi-do with Chairmen Beang-Ho Kim, Chun-Shik Cho, and Chang-Keun Son. With their gift, KAIST established Kim Beang-Ho & Kim Sam-Youl ITC Building as well as the Cho Chun-Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation. The four senior couples’ donations amount to 76.1 billion KRW.
“It would be the most meaningful way if we could invest in KAIST for the country’s future,” said Chairman Chang. “I talked a lot with Chairman Kim on how KAIST utilizes its donations and have developed a strong belief in the future of KAIST.”
Chairman and Mrs. Chang already toured the campus several times at the invitation of President Kwang-Hyung Lee and President Lee himself presented the vision of KAIST to the couple. The couple also attended President Lee’s inauguration ceremony on March 8.
President Lee thanked the couple for their donation, saying “I take my hat off to Chairman Chang and his wife for their generous donation that was amassed over their lifetime. They lived very fiscally responsible lives. We will efficiently utilize this fund for educating future global talents."
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2021.03.15 View 7145 -
The Future Mobility of the Year 2019
KAIST announced the Future Mobility of the Year (FMOTY) 2019. The winners are Volvo 360C, Toyota e-Palette, and Toyota Concept-i WALK.
FMOTY are the first awards that recognizes concept cars that exhibit innovative services and practical transportation technology in three categories: private mobility, public and commercial mobility, and personal mobility.
Figure 1. The winner in the private mobility division, the Volvo 360C
In the private mobility division, the award went to the Volvo 360C. With targeted routes of roughly 186 miles, this vehicle has an ambitious service goal to replace airplanes by traveling these routes with great comfort. Goro Okazaki, a journalist with Car and Driver Japan, said, “The Volvo 360C clearly shows how highly personalized autonomous driving can change the future.”
Figure 2. The winner in the public mobility division, the Toyota e-Palette
The Toyota e-Palette was the winning car in commercial mobility division. This vehicle provides the best solution as a mobile service platform by transforming itself into mobile hospitals, hotels, stores and food trucks. Carlo Calderón, a journalist for Autopista Spain, said, “It has a great strength in remodeling its indoor and outdoor spaces according to various commercial uses.”
Figure 3. The winner in the personal mobility division, the Toyota Concept-i WALK
In the personal mobility division, the award went to the Toyota Concept-i WALK. It was recognized for having an exquisite user environment and artificial intelligent agent, along with an excellent completion. Jun Miao, a journalist with MJ CarShow China, said, “It is aesthetically pleasing. Beyond the upright control of conventional personal mobility, it allows agile control with a joystick.”
FMOTY conducted a screening process for 45 concept cars over three months and 16 renowned automotive experts from 11 countries participated as judges for this award, including Editor in Chief of BBC Top Gear Magazine Charlie Turner and European Bureau Chief of Automobile Magazine Georg Kacher. The judges said that FMOTY was born to propose a new aspect of future mobility, and in terms of evaluating technical and social values of concept cars, FMOTY carries great significance.
Kyung-soo Kim, Dean of the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation said, “Globally renowned experts in the automotive field participated as judges to elevate the prestige and fairness of the awards. KAIST members were excluded from the entire judging process. I believe that the FMOTY Awards will expand public attention from the present to the future.”
Details can be found on the official website of FMOTY ( www.fmoty.org ).
2019.03.11 View 5644 -
The First Award for Concept Cars, Future Mobility of the Year
KAIST will host an award to recognize the most visionary and inspiring concept cars of the year.
The ‘Future Mobility of the Year (FMOTY)’ Awards recognize concept cars that have made outstanding contributions to future mobility. The first awards ceremony will take place in Korea in March 2019.
The awards will be given to concept cars that exhibit innovative services and practical transportation technology in three categories: private mobility, public and commercial mobility, and personal mobility.
To ensure a fair judging process, the contest invited influential and eminent journalists in the automotive field. They will evaluate the social values and innovative contributions of the concept cars that will pave the way for next-generation transportation.
Concept cars have been neglected in existing automobile awards, such as the ‘Car of the Year’ because they have been considered experimental prototypes only built for showcasing a new vision for the quite far future.
The FMOTY Awards will brings concept cars back into the spotlight and showcase the best ideas and social values of mind-blowing concept cars.
Among 45 concept cars, fifteen candidates were selected as finalists after the initial screening that took place over the last three months: including models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. The winners will be announced and awarded in Seoul on March 28th.
Kyung-soo Kim, Dean of the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation which organizes the award said, “As the automobile industry undergoes an era of transformation, it is crucial to recognize the efforts of automobile companies who are making attempts to create novel forms of mobility. That is why we launched the FMOTY Awards, hoping to add a future-oriented spirit to the existing awards that consider finished vehicles only. By selecting the best concept car, the FMOTY Awards will expand public attention from the present to the future.”
Details can be found on the official website of FMOTY ( www.fmoty.org), where photos of the finalists are also available for download ( http://bitly.kr/JTUUp).
Figure 1. Finalists for the 'Future Mobility of the Year'
2019.02.13 View 6194 -
KAIST and Petersburg State Transport University Sign a MOU on Green Transportation
The Petersburg State Transport University (PSTU) in Russia is a higher education institution specializing in railway transport.
KAIST and PSTU signed a memorandum of understating (MOU) on October 28, 2014 at the KAIST campus and agreed to collaborate in the research of and hold academic exchanges for green transportation.
Based on the agreement, the two institutions will collaborate in the development of a high capacity railway that is powered through wireless power transfer technology and will exchange personnel and academic knowledge to advance the field of green transportation.
The Graduate School for Green Transportation (GSGT) at KAIST organized a seminar which took place after the MOU signing ceremony. Professor Dong-Ho Cho, the Dean of GSGT, presented a keynote speech at the seminar on “Korea’s Green Transportation Policy and Its Technology Development Status” to the audience including the PSTU delegation.
Established in 1809, PSTU is one of the oldest and most prestigious engineering universities in Russia, serving as an important scientific and research center in the area of engineering, construction, and railway operation.
2014.11.04 View 8353 -
Cho Cheon Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation Initiated
KAIST established the Graduate School of Green Transportation in efforts to participate actively in the green transportation market and train experts in the field.
The opening ceremony was conducted in the KI building with President of KAIST Seo Nam Pyo and other dignitaries from Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Korea Rail Network Authority, Korea Airports Corporation, Korea Railroad Research Institute, Land, Transport and Maritime Experts Training Institute, Seoul Development Institute, LG Innotech, Hyundai Rotem, and other major companies in the field of transportation attending.
The graduate school was founded with funding from donation made by Chairman Cho Cheon Shik. Developer of OLEV Professor Cho Dong Ho is the dean of the school and 16 other professors are a part of the school.
Courses offered include ‘Transportation Technology’ and ‘Transportation management’ and will focus mostly on allowing students to be a part of the graduate school with flexibility.
In terms of research there is the OLEV and mobile harbor and research will be done on electric and electronics, mechanics, materials, aeronautics, maritime, construction, environment, and etc. and will be an interdisciplinary research.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by the companies mentioned above which has now paved the way for experts to be trained and thus upgrade the level of technology in the field of green transportation.
Professor Seo of KAIST commented, ‘Korea is ranked top 10 in the world for greenhouse gas emissions and it has become hard to avoid global pressure. The results of researched performed at KAIST will allow Korea to form a green, sustainable society leading in the field of green transportation and dominate the market.
2011.02.23 View 14656 -
A senior couple donated their fortune to KAIST, hoping their contribution to be used for the development of science and technology in Korea.
A couple living in Kyunggi Province, Chun-Sik Cho (86) and Chang-Gi Yoon (82), donated to KAIST a 10 billion won worth of real estate. The couple thought about giving away their fortune since retirement and finally made up their mind after becoming to know about their neighbor’s good deeds.
The neighbor, Byung-Ho Kim, gave KAIST a 30 billion won worth of real estate last year. Influenced by Mr. Kim’s donation and their long-cherished wish to help others in need, the couple decided to transfer the ownership of their land to KAIST. They hoped that their contribution to be used for the development of science and technology in Korea.
The couple, who survived through the Korean civil war in the early 1950s, recalled their old days,
“We made through a harsh and difficult life right after the war. Everyone was poor and had nothing to wear or eat. We literally had to eat all sorts of grasses that were green on the ground. All of us had to work really hard to get out of despair resulted from the colonization of our nation by Japan and the subsequent civil war.”
Mr. Cho added, “The development of science and technology in our nation really propelled the overall advancement of our society and helped to make today’s success that is enjoyed by the current generation of our nation. It is our greatest hope that our contribution will add a small help in our nation’s efforts to further advance the development of science and technology. I would like KAIST to do just that with our donation.”
KAIST announced a plan to use their contribution for the establishment of a new graduate school specialized in green transportation and the development of related technology, called Green Transportation Graduate School. The university will name the new graduate school after the couple’s name in recognition of their goodwill.
The Green Transportation Graduate School will host academic programs and conduct researches related to the future transportation that is based on a renewable energy source and provides answers to the current energy problems faced by mankind. Multidisciplinary and convergent studies will be implemented through collaborations between academia, governments, and industries.
In the past four years, KAIST has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number and amount of donations received from all corners of Korean society and from around the world since President Nam Pyo Suh took the university’s top administrative office in 2006—1,004 in 2006; 2,158 in 2007; 3,091 in 2008; and 3,324 in 2009.
Major contributions since 2006
30 billion Won by Moon-Sul Chung in July 2001
10 million USD by Byiung-Joon Park in September 2007
2.5 million USD by Neil Pappalardo in November 2007
57.8 billion Won by Geun-Chul Ryu in August 2008
30 billion Won by Byung-Ho Kim in August 2009
2010.07.07 View 10990