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KAIST Research Team Develops Electronic Ink for Room-Temperature Printing of High-Resolution, Variable-Stiffness Electronics
A team of researchers from KAIST and Seoul National University has developed a groundbreaking electronic ink that enables room-temperature printing of variable-stiffness circuits capable of switching between rigid and soft modes. This advancement marks a significant leap toward next-generation wearable, implantable, and robotic devices.
< Photo 1. (From left) Professor Jae-Woong Jeong and PhD candidate Simok Lee of the School of Electrical Engineering, (in separate bubbles, from left) Professor Gun-Hee Lee of Pusan National University, Professor Seongjun Park of Seoul National University, Professor Steve Park of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering>
Variable-stiffness electronics are at the forefront of adaptive technology, offering the ability for a single device to transition between rigid and soft modes depending on its use case. Gallium, a metal known for its high rigidity contrast between solid and liquid states, is a promising candidate for such applications. However, its use has been hindered by challenges including high surface tension, low viscosity, and undesirable phase transitions during manufacturing.
On June 4th, a research team led by Professor Jae-Woong Jeong from the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST, Professor Seongjun Park from the Digital Healthcare Major at Seoul National University, and Professor Steve Park from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST introduced a novel liquid metal electronic ink. This ink allows for micro-scale circuit printing – thinner than a human hair – at room temperature, with the ability to reversibly switch between rigid and soft modes depending on temperature.
The new ink combines printable viscosity with excellent electrical conductivity, enabling the creation of complex, high-resolution multilayer circuits comparable to commercial printed circuit boards (PCBs). These circuits can dynamically change stiffness in response to temperature, presenting new opportunities for multifunctional electronics, medical technologies, and robotics.
Conventional electronics typically have fixed form factors – either rigid for durability or soft for wearability. Rigid devices like smartphones and laptops offer robust performance but are uncomfortable when worn, while soft electronics are more comfortable but lack precise handling. As demand grows for devices that can adapt their stiffness to context, variable-stiffness electronics are becoming increasingly important.
< Figure 1. Fabrication process of stable, high-viscosity electronic ink by dispersing micro-sized gallium particles in a polymer matrix (left). High-resolution large-area circuit printing process through pH-controlled chemical sintering (right). >
To address this challenge, the researchers focused on gallium, which melts just below body temperature. Solid gallium is quite stiff, while its liquid form is fluid and soft. Despite its potential, gallium’s use in electronic printing has been limited by its high surface tension and instability when melted.
To overcome these issues, the team developed a pH-controlled liquid metal ink printing process. By dispersing micro-sized gallium particles into a hydrophilic polyurethane matrix using a neutral solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO), they created a stable, high-viscosity ink suitable for precision printing. During post-print heating, the DMSO decomposes to form an acidic environment, which removes the oxide layer on the gallium particles. This triggers the particles to coalesce into electrically conductive networks with tunable mechanical properties.
The resulting printed circuits exhibit fine feature sizes (~50 μm), high conductivity (2.27 × 10⁶ S/m), and a stiffness modulation ratio of up to 1,465 – allowing the material to shift from plastic-like rigidity to rubber-like softness. Furthermore, the ink is compatible with conventional printing techniques such as screen printing and dip coating, supporting large-area and 3D device fabrication.
< Figure 2. Key features of the electronic ink. (i) High-resolution printing and multilayer integration capability. (ii) Batch fabrication capability through large-area screen printing. (iii) Complex three-dimensional structure printing capability through dip coating. (iv) Excellent electrical conductivity and stiffness control capability.>
The team demonstrated this technology by developing a multi-functional device that operates as a rigid portable electronic under normal conditions but transforms into a soft wearable healthcare device when attached to the body. They also created a neural probe that remains stiff during surgical insertion for accurate positioning but softens once inside brain tissue to reduce inflammation – highlighting its potential for biomedical implants.
< Figure 3. Variable stiffness wearable electronics with high-resolution circuits and multilayer structure comparable to commercial printed circuit boards (PCBs). Functions as a rigid portable electronic device at room temperature, then transforms into a wearable healthcare device by softening at body temperature upon skin contact.>
“The core achievement of this research lies in overcoming the longstanding challenges of liquid metal printing through our innovative technology,” said Professor Jeong. “By controlling the ink’s acidity, we were able to electrically and mechanically connect printed gallium particles, enabling the room-temperature fabrication of high-resolution, large-area circuits with tunable stiffness. This opens up new possibilities for future personal electronics, medical devices, and robotics.”
< Figure 4. Body-temperature softening neural probe implemented by coating electronic ink on an optical waveguide structure. (Left) Remains rigid during surgery for precise manipulation and brain insertion, then softens after implantation to minimize mechanical stress on the brain and greatly enhance biocompatibility. (Right) >
This research was published in Science Advances under the title, “Phase-Change Metal Ink with pH-Controlled Chemical Sintering for Versatile and Scalable Fabrication of Variable Stiffness Electronics.” The work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Boston-Korea Project, and the BK21 FOUR Program.
2025.06.04 View 291 -
RAIBO Runs over Walls with Feline Agility... Ready for Effortless Search over Mountaineous and Rough Terrains
< Photo 1. Research Team Photo (Professor Jemin Hwangbo, second from right in the front row) >
KAIST's quadrupedal robot, RAIBO, can now move at high speed across discontinuous and complex terrains such as stairs, gaps, walls, and debris. It has demonstrated its ability to run on vertical walls, leap over 1.3-meter-wide gaps, sprint at approximately 14.4 km/h over stepping stones, and move quickly and nimbly on terrain combining 30° slopes, stairs, and stepping stones. RaiBo is expected to be deployed soon for practical missions such as disaster site exploration and mountain searches.
Professor Jemin Hwangbo's research team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at our university announced on June 3rd that they have developed a quadrupedal robot navigation framework capable of high-speed locomotion at 14.4 km/h (4m/s) even on discontinuous and complex terrains such as walls, stairs, and stepping stones.
The research team developed a quadrupedal navigation system that enables the robot to reach its target destination quickly and safely in complex and discontinuous terrain.
To achieve this, they approached the problem by breaking it down into two stages: first, developing a planner for planning foothold positions, and second, developing a tracker to accurately follow the planned foothold positions.
First, the planner module quickly searches for physically feasible foothold positions using a sampling-based optimization method with neural network-based heuristics and verifies the optimal path through simulation rollouts.
While existing methods considered various factors such as contact timing and robot posture in addition to foothold positions, this research significantly reduced computational complexity by setting only foothold positions as the search space. Furthermore, inspired by the walking method of cats, the introduction of a structure where the hind feet step on the same spots as the front feet further significantly reduced computational complexity.
< Figure 1. High-speed navigation across various discontinuous terrains >
Second, the tracker module is trained to accurately step on planned positions, and tracking training is conducted through a generative model that competes in environments of appropriate difficulty.
The tracker is trained through reinforcement learning to accurately step on planned plots, and during this process, a generative model called the 'map generator' provides the target distribution.
This generative model is trained simultaneously and adversarially with the tracker to allow the tracker to progressively adapt to more challenging difficulties. Subsequently, a sampling-based planner was designed to generate feasible foothold plans that can reflect the characteristics and performance of the trained tracker.
This hierarchical structure showed superior performance in both planning speed and stability compared to existing techniques, and experiments proved its high-speed locomotion capabilities across various obstacles and discontinuous terrains, as well as its general applicability to unseen terrains.
Professor Jemin Hwangbo stated, "We approached the problem of high-speed navigation in discontinuous terrain, which previously required a significantly large amount of computation, from the simple perspective of how to select the footprint positions. Inspired by the placements of cat's paw, allowing the hind feet to step where the front feet stepped drastically reduced computation. We expect this to significantly expand the range of discontinuous terrain that walking robots can overcome and enable them to traverse it at high speeds, contributing to the robot's ability to perform practical missions such as disaster site exploration and mountain searches."
This research achievement was published in the May 2025 issue of the international journal Science Robotics.
Paper Title: High-speed control and navigation for quadrupedal robots on complex and discrete terrain, (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.ads6192)YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/EZbM594T3c4?si=kfxLF2XnVUvYVIyk
2025.06.04 View 293 -
Professor Hyun Myung's Team Wins Challenge at ICRA by IEEE
< Photo 1. (From left) Daebeom Kim (Team Leader, Ph.D. student), Seungjae Lee (Ph.D. student), Seoyeon Jang (Ph.D. student), Jei Gong (Master's student), Professor Hyun Myung >
The Urban Robotics Lab team, led by Professor Hyun Myung from the School of Electrical Engineering at our university, achieved a remarkable first-place overall victory in the Nothing Stands Still Challenge (NSS Challenge) 2025, held at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), the world's most prestigious robotics conference, from May 19 to 23 in Atlanta, USA.
The NSS Challenge was co-hosted by HILTI, a global construction company based in Liechtenstein, and Stanford University's Gradient Spaces Group. It is an expanded version of the HILTI SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)* Challenge, which has been held since 2021, and is considered one of the most prominent challenges at 2025 IEEE ICRA.*SLAM: Refers to Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, a technology where robots, drones, autonomous vehicles, etc., determine their own position and simultaneously create a map of their surroundings.
< Photo 2. Oral Presentation on the Winning Team's Technology (Speakers: Seungjae Lee, Ph.D. student, and Seoyeon Jang, Ph.D. student) >
This challenge primarily evaluates how accurately and robustly LiDAR scan data, collected at various times, can be registered in situations with frequent structural changes, such as construction and industrial environments. In particular, it is regarded as a highly technical competition because it deals with multi-session localization and mapping (Multi-session SLAM) technology that responds to structural changes occurring over multiple timeframes, rather than just single-point registration accuracy.
The Urban Robotics Lab team secured first place overall, surpassing National Taiwan University (3rd place) and Northwestern Polytechnical University of China (2nd place) by a significant margin, with their unique localization and mapping technology that solves the problem of registering LiDAR data collected across multiple times and spaces. The winning team will be awarded a prize of $4,000.
< Figure 1. Example of Multiway-Registration for Registering Multiple Scans >
The Urban Robotics Lab team independently developed a multiway-registration framework that can robustly register multiple scans even without prior connection information. This framework consists of an algorithm for summarizing feature points within scans and finding correspondences (CubicFeat), an algorithm for performing global registration based on the found correspondences (Quatro), and an algorithm for refining results based on change detection (Chamelion). This combination of technologies ensures stable registration performance based on fixed structures, even in highly dynamic industrial environments.
< Figure 2. Example of Change Detection Using the Chamelion Algorithm>
LiDAR scan registration technology is a core component of SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) in various autonomous systems such as autonomous vehicles, autonomous robots, autonomous walking systems, and autonomous flying vehicles.
Professor Hyun Myung of the School of Electrical Engineering stated, "This award-winning technology is evaluated as a case that simultaneously proves both academic value and industrial applicability by maximizing the performance of precisely estimating the relative positions between different scans even in complex environments. I am grateful to the students who challenged themselves and never gave up, even when many teams abandoned due to the high difficulty."
< Figure 3. Competition Result Board, Lower RMSE (Root Mean Squared Error) Indicates Higher Score (Unit: meters)>
Meanwhile, the Urban Robotics Lab team first participated in the SLAM Challenge in 2022, winning second place among academic teams, and in 2023, they secured first place overall in the LiDAR category and first place among academic teams in the vision category.
2025.05.30 View 260 -
KAIST Develops Virtual Staining Technology for 3D Histopathology
Moving beyond traditional methods of observing thinly sliced and stained cancer tissues, a collaborative international research team led by KAIST has successfully developed a groundbreaking technology. This innovation uses advanced optical techniques combined with an artificial intelligence-based deep learning algorithm to create realistic, virtually stained 3D images of cancer tissue without the need for serial sectioning nor staining. This breakthrough is anticipated to pave the way for next-generation non-invasive pathological diagnosis.
< Photo 1. (From left) Juyeon Park (Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Physics), Professor YongKeun Park (Department of Physics) (Top left) Professor Su-Jin Shin (Gangnam Severance Hospital), Professor Tae Hyun Hwang (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine) >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 26th that a research team led by Professor YongKeun Park of the Department of Physics, in collaboration with Professor Su-Jin Shin's team at Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital, Professor Tae Hyun Hwang's team at Mayo Clinic, and Tomocube's AI research team, has developed an innovative technology capable of vividly displaying the 3D structure of cancer tissues without separate staining.
For over 200 years, conventional pathology has relied on observing cancer tissues under a microscope, a method that only shows specific cross-sections of the 3D cancer tissue. This has limited the ability to understand the three-dimensional connections and spatial arrangements between cells.
To overcome this, the research team utilized holotomography (HT), an advanced optical technology, to measure the 3D refractive index information of tissues. They then integrated an AI-based deep learning algorithm to successfully generate virtual H&E* images.* H&E (Hematoxylin & Eosin): The most widely used staining method for observing pathological tissues. Hematoxylin stains cell nuclei blue, and eosin stains cytoplasm pink.
The research team quantitatively demonstrated that the images generated by this technology are highly similar to actual stained tissue images. Furthermore, the technology exhibited consistent performance across various organs and tissues, proving its versatility and reliability as a next-generation pathological analysis tool.
< Figure 1. Comparison of conventional 3D tissue pathology procedure and the 3D virtual H&E staining technology proposed in this study. The traditional method requires preparing and staining dozens of tissue slides, while the proposed technology can reduce the number of slides by up to 10 times and quickly generate H&E images without the staining process. >
Moreover, by validating the feasibility of this technology through joint research with hospitals and research institutions in Korea and the United States, utilizing Tomocube's holotomography equipment, the team demonstrated its potential for full-scale adoption in real-world pathological research settings.
Professor YongKeun Park stated, "This research marks a major advancement by transitioning pathological analysis from conventional 2D methods to comprehensive 3D imaging. It will greatly enhance biomedical research and clinical diagnostics, particularly in understanding cancer tumor boundaries and the intricate spatial arrangements of cells within tumor microenvironments."
< Figure 2. Results of AI-based 3D virtual H&E staining and quantitative analysis of pathological tissue. The virtually stained images enabled 3D reconstruction of key pathological features such as cell nuclei and glandular lumens. Based on this, various quantitative indicators, including cell nuclear distribution, volume, and surface area, could be extracted. >
This research, with Juyeon Park, a student of the Integrated Master’s and Ph.D. Program at KAIST, as the first author, was published online in the prestigious journal Nature Communications on May 22.
(Paper title: Revealing 3D microanatomical structures of unlabeled thick cancer tissues using holotomography and virtual H&E staining.
[https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59820-0]
This study was supported by the Leader Researcher Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Global Industry Technology Cooperation Center Project of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
2025.05.26 View 823 -
KAIST Hosts 2025 Integrity Week: In Commitment to Moral Excellence with Programs like "Integrity Consultation on Call" - Promoting Ethical Conduct and Rebuilding Trust
KAIST announced on May 26th that it hosted the "2025 KAIST Integrity Week." The goal was to enhance the integrity and anti-corruption awareness of its members and foster a culture of responsibility and trust within the organization. This initiative included participatory programs such as consultations, education, and campaigns on research and academic integrity.
Under the theme "KAIST Practicing Responsibility and Trust," this Integrity Week featured diverse programs designed for both faculty, staff, and students.
< The Integrity Week Poster >
On the first day of Integrity Week, President Kwang Hyung Lee sent a letter to all members, proclaiming KAIST's commitment to integrity and emphasizing its importance.
Key programs include:
• "Integrity Consultations on Call" to enhance the culture of ethical conduct.
• A program in a quiz show format, the “Integrity Golden Bell,"
• Integrity and Anti-Corruption Education Day.
• Integrity Campaigns aimed at improving internal culture of observing the code of conduct.
These events are designed to encourage participation from both faculty, staff, and students.
In particular, the " Integrity Consultations on Call" were held for graduate student council executives, departmental graduate student representatives, and research support personnel. This was a forum to discuss integrity issues and improvement measures that may arise during research and administrative tasks. It will also serve to share effective integrity policies, such as conflict of interest prevention systems and anonymous reporting legal counsel services.
The "Integrity Golden Bell" event was aimed to enhance faculty and staff's understanding of anti-corruption laws, including the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, and to encourage their voluntary commitment to these principles.
< The Integrity Week Poster >
The goals KAIST was targeting to achieve through this Integrity Week, was to integrate the value of ethical practices in daily routines and cultivate a healthy culture within the working environment in which its working colleagues can trust each other. Furthermore, KAIST aims to make integrity a core value that can bolster sustainable development, encouraging all members to actively participate in practicing honest and responsible research and academic work.
President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, "Ethical conduct and honesty is at the essence of science and technology that people of the community must uphold conscientiously, and it should be the foundation for KAIST to regain and maintain global trust. We hope that through this Integrity Week, the value of integrity will take deeper root within our research culture and daily lives."
2025.05.26 View 408 -
Hyung Kyu Lim, Former KAIST Alumni Association President, Donates 100 Million Won for a Challenge to Follow “I am a KAIST”
Hyung Kyu Lim, a former President of the KAIST Alumni Association, has donated 100 million won as the prize money for the School Song and National Anthem Challenge. This donation will be used as prize money starting from the 2026 competition and is expected to play a significant role in spreading KAIST's educational culture and fostering a sense of community.
< Photo 1. KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee (left) and the former Alumni Association President Hyung Kyu Lim at the ceremony for the signing of the pledge for Dr. Lim's donation. >
The School Song and National Anthem Challenge was first conceived in 2024 at the suggestion of President Kwang-Hyung Lee to enhance consensus on KAIST's values and educational philosophy and to inspire patriotism and school spirit. Participants express their sense of belonging and pride in KAIST by singing the KAIST school song, the national anthem, or the 'I'm a KAIST,' dedicated by Professor Sumi Jo, a visiting scholar at the Graduate School of Culture Technology. Notably, this year, a new category has been added where participants sing their self-composed 'My Own School Song,' making the stage more diverse.
The grand prize-winning team receives the President's Award and a prize of 1 million won. The top excellence award and participating teams also receive prizes and awards totaling 2 million won.
< Photo 2. At the ceremony for the signing of the donation pledge, KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee (left) is relaying a bouquet of flower and the plaque of appreciation to the former Alumni Association President Hyung Kyu Lim. >
Former Alumni Association President Hyung Kyu Lim stated, Love for the national community is the foundation of a sound global citizen consciousness. For me, love for this national community, along with family love, has been a great source of energy for growth.
He added, I hope this challenge of singing the national anthem and school song becomes a good nourishment for KAIST members to grow into global citizens with roots, expressing his thoughts on the donation.
President Kwang-Hyung Lee said, “I am grateful to former Alumni Association President Hyung Kyu Lim for his generous support of this meaningful program, which fosters pride in the school and raises interest in loving the country through the national anthem.” He added, “This donation will serve as an opportunity for KAIST members to cultivate a sense of belonging to the school and a sense of responsibility to the national community.”
Since 2018, former President Lim has annually donated prize money for the 'Linkgenesis Best Teacher Award,' encouraging faculty members who embody the values of creativity, challenge, and consideration. Furthermore, he has consistently contributed to KAIST's talent development and advancement by continuing to provide funds totaling 1 billion won, including scholarship funds for the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Alumni Academic Scholarship Foundation.
< Photo 3. Grand prize-winning team of the School Song and National Anthem Challenge >
Meanwhile, the '2nd School Song and National Anthem Challenge' was successfully held on May 21st at the main auditorium of KAIST, with over 150 spectators participating. Eight teams performed in the finals, and the final winning team was selected based on audience evaluation (10%) and judges' scores (90%).
< Photo 4. Grand prize-winning team of the School Song and National Anthem Challenge, Aeguk-Rock in performance >
The grand prize was awarded to the 'Aeguk-Rock' team, who arranged the national anthem into a rock version and performed it as a band. The top excellence award went to the 'Form of the Conductor' team, who sang the school song a cappella. The excellence award was given to Eun-Jin Choi, a student from the Graduate School of Culture Technology, who performed her self-composed school song written with an AI tool, 'Radiant You – You Are KAIST.' The 'Aeguk-Rock’ team also won the audience popularity award, and five other teams received participation awards.
< Photo 5. Group photo of the winners of the School Song and National Anthem Challenge >
2025.05.23 View 532 -
KAIST and Mainz Researchers Unveil 3D Magnon Control, Charting a New Course for Neuromorphic and Quantum Technologies
< Professor Se Kwon Kim of the Department of Physics (left), Dr. Zarzuela of the University of Mainz, Germany (right) >
What if the magnon Hall effect, which processes information using magnons (spin waves) capable of current-free information transfer with magnets, could overcome its current limitation of being possible only on a 2D plane? If magnons could be utilized in 3D space, they would enable flexible design, including 3D circuits, and be applicable in various fields such as next-generation neuromorphic (brain-mimicking) computing structures, similar to human brain information processing. KAIST and an international joint research team have, for the first time in the world, predicted a 3D magnon Hall effect, demonstrating that magnons can move freely and complexly in 3D space, transcending the conventional concept of magnons.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on May 22nd that Professor Se Kwon Kim of the Department of Physics, in collaboration with Dr. Ricardo Zarzuela of the University of Mainz, Germany, has revealed that the interaction between magnons (spin waves) and solitons (spin vortices) within complex magnetic structures (topologically textured frustrated magnets) is not simple, but complex in a way that enables novel functionalities.
Magnons (spin waves), which can transmit information like electron movement, are garnering attention as a next-generation information processing technology that transmits information without using current, thus generating no heat. Until now, magnon research has focused on simple magnets where spins are neatly aligned in one direction, and the mathematics describing this was a relatively simple 'Abelian gauge theory.'
The research team demonstrated, for the first time in the world, that in complex spin structures like frustrated magnets, magnons interact and become entangled in complex ways from various directions. They applied an advanced mathematical framework, 'non-Abelian gauge theory,' to describe this movement, which is a groundbreaking achievement.
This research presents the possibility of future applications in low-power logic devices using magnons and topology-based quantum information processing technologies, indicating a potential paradigm shift in future information technology.
In conventional linear magnetic materials, the value representing the magnetic state (order parameter) is given as a vector. In magnonics research based on this, it has been interpreted that a U(1) Abelian gauge field is induced when magnons move in soliton structures like skyrmions. This means that the interaction between solitons and magnons has a structure similar to quantum electrodynamics (QED), which has successfully explained various experimental results such as the magnon Hall effect in 2D magnets.
< Figure. Schematic diagram of non-Abelian magnon quantum chromodynamics describing the dynamics of three types of magnons discovered for the first time in this study.>
However, through this research, the team theoretically revealed that in frustrated magnets, the order parameter must be expressed not as a simple vector but as a quaternion. As a result, the gauge field experienced by magnons resembles an SU(3) non-Abelian gauge field, rather than a simple U(1) Abelian gauge field.
This implies that within frustrated magnets, there are not one or two types of magnons seen in conventional magnets, but three distinct types of magnons, each interacting and intricately entangled with solitons. This structure is highly significant as it resembles quantum chromodynamics (QCD) that describes the strong interaction between quarks mediated by gluons rather than quantum electrodynamics (QED) that describes electromagnetic forces.
Professor Se Kwon Kim stated, "This research presents a powerful theoretical framework to explain the dynamics of magnons occurring within the complex order of frustrated magnets," adding, "By pioneering non-Abelian magnonics, it will be a conceptual turning point that can influence quantum magnetism research as a whole."
The research results, with Dr. Ricardo Zarzuela of the University of Mainz, Germany, as the first author, were published in the world-renowned physics journal Physical Review Letters on May 6th.※ Paper title: "Non-Abelian Gauge Theory for Magnons in Topologically Textured Frustrated Magnets," Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 186701 (2025)DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.186701
This research was supported by the Brain Pool Plus program of the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2025.05.22 View 1085 -
Life Springs at KAIST: A Tale of Two Special Campus Families
A Gift of Life on Teachers' Day: Baby Geese Born at KAIST Pond
On Teachers' Day, a meaningful miracle of life arrived at the KAIST campus. A pair of geese gave birth to two goslings by the duck pond.
< On Teachers' Day, a pair of geese and their goslings leisurely swim in the pond. >
The baby goslings, covered in yellow down, began exploring the pond's edge, scurrying about, while their aunt geese steadfastly stood by. Their curious glances, watchful gazes, playful hops on waterside rocks, and the procession of babies swimming behind their parents in the water melted the hearts of onlookers.
< As night falls on the duck pond, the goose family gathers among the reeds. >
This special new life, born on Teachers' Day, seems to symbolize the day's meaning of "care" and "growth." This wondrous scene of life brought warm comfort and joy to KAIST members, adding the inspiration of nature to a campus that is a space for research and learning.
< Under the protection of the adult geese, the goslings take their first steps, exploring the pond's grassy areas and rocks. >
This adorable family is already roaming the area leisurely, like the pond's owners. With the joy of life added to the spring-filled pond, warm smiles are spreading across the KAIST campus.
< The geese look around, surveying their surroundings, while caring for their goslings. >
The pond has now become a small but special haven for students and staff. This goose family, arriving on Teachers' Day, quietly reminds us of the meaning of care and learning conveyed by nature.
< The goose family shows care and growth, and warm moments together are anticipated. >
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On Children's Day 2025, a Duck Becomes a Mother
In July 2024, a special guest arrived at the KAIST campus. With soft yellow down, waddling gait, and a flat beak, it was undeniably a baby duck. However, for some reason, its mother was nowhere to be seen. Given that it wasn't afraid of people and followed them well, it was clear that someone had abandoned the duck.
Fortunately, the baby duck was safely rescued thanks to prompt reporting by students.
< Two ducks found on a corner of campus, immediately after their rescue in summer 2024. >
The ducks, newly integrated into KAIST, seemed to adapt relatively peacefully to campus life. As new additions, they couldn't blend in with the existing goose flock that had settled on campus, but the geese didn't ostracize them either. Perhaps because they were awkward neighbors, there was hope that the ducks would soon join the existing goose flock.
< Following their rescue based on a student's report in summer 2024, the ducks adapted to campus life under the protection of the campus facility team and Professor Won Do Heo. >
Professor Won Do Heo of the Department of Biological Sciences, widely known as "Goose Dad," stepped forward to protect them along with the KAIST facility team. Professor Heo is well-known for consistently observing and protecting the campus geese and ducks, which are practically symbols of KAIST. Thanks to the care of the staff and Professor Heo, the two ducks were safely released back onto campus approximately one month after their rescue.
< A moment on campus: Before winter, the ducks lived separately from the goose flock, maintaining a certain distance. While there were no conflicts, they rarely socialized. >
However, as winter passed, sad news arrived. One duck went missing, and the remaining one was found injured by the pond. While the policy of the facility team and Professor Heo was to minimize intervention to allow campus animals to maintain their natural state, saving the injured duck was the top priority. After being isolated again for a month of recovery, the duck fully recovered and was able to greet spring under the sun.
< The mother duck left alone in winter: One went missing, and the remaining one was found injured. After indoor isolation and recovery, she was released back onto campus in the spring. >
As spring, the ducks' breeding season, began, Professor Heo decided to offer a little more help. When signs of egg-laying appeared, he consistently provided "special meals for pregnant mothers" throughout March. On the morning of May 5th, Children's Day, 28 days after the mother duck began incubating her eggs with the care and attention of KAIST members, new life finally hatched. It was a precious outcome achieved solely by the duck that had survived abandonment and injury, with no special protection other than food.
The duck, having overcome hardship and injury to stand alone, has now formed a new family. Although there is still some distance from the existing goose flock, it is expected that they will naturally find their place in the campus ecosystem, as KAIST's geese are not aggressive or exclusive. The KAIST goose flock already has experience protecting and raising five ducklings.
< A new beginning by the pond on Children's Day: On the morning of May 5th, the 28th day of incubation, four ducklings hatched by the pond. This was a natural hatching, achieved without protective equipment. >
A single duck brought a special spring to the KAIST campus on Children's Day. The outcome achieved by that small life, leading to the birth of a new family, also symbolizes the harmonious coexistence of people and animals on the KAIST campus. The careful intervention of KAIST members, providing only the necessary assistance from rescue to hatching, makes us reconsider what "desirable coexistence between animals and people" truly means.
2025.05.21 View 844 -
<Big Coins> Exhibition: Where Coins and Imagination Collide - Held at SUPEX Hall, KAIST Seoul Campus
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on May 19th the opening of the solo exhibition, “Big Coins,” by photographer and media artist Hojun Ji (Adjunct Professor, Department of Industrial Design) at the SUPEX Hall in the Business School of the Seoul Campus. The exhibition will run from May 19th to the end of February of the following year.
This exhibition at the KAIST Seoul Campus Business School presents artworks with an insightful perspective, inviting diverse interpretations from the audience. Notable pieces include ‘Priced,’ which juxtaposes Leonardo da Vinci's ‘Salvator Mundi,’ sold for approximately 450 million US dollars at a 2017 auction, with a Vatican coin bearing the image of Pope John XXIII. Another work, ‘Ciphered,’ superimposes a code used by the German army during World War II onto a Swiss coin featuring Helvetia.
< Priced, 150x150cm, 2025 >
Currently, Hojun Ji, an Adjunct Professor in KAIST’s Department of Industrial Design (and a student at the KAIST Graduate School of Culture Technology), creates his art using images captured by observing everyday objects through optical or electron microscopes.
He has garnered particular attention for his unique artistic world, which combines enlarged microscopic photographs of coins from across the globe with significant news articles from modern and contemporary history.
Yeo-sun Yoon, Dean of the College of Business Administration, commented, “While the KAIST Art Museum is located at the main campus in Daejeon, the College of Business Administration here on the Seoul Campus also regularly hosts exhibitions curated by the museum. I am delighted to encounter a new realm of art through this solo exhibition by Artist Hojun Ji.”
< Ciphered, 150x150cm, 2025 >
Hyeon-Jeong Suk, Director of the Art Museum and a Full Professor in KAIST’s Department of Industrial Design, remarked, “Professor Hojun Ji's experimental imagination is remarkably unique and eccentric. As a graduate student, he connected data from his observations of his lab dog’s droppings with Jeong Seon's <Geumgang Jeondo>. Such imaginative thinking exemplifies the direction KAIST is pursuing.”
Artist Hojun Ji stated, “The coins I examined through optical and electron microscopes were not merely a form of payment but rather portraits of humanity etched with time and power. The history and memories embedded in their fine cracks and textures resonated with me as a singular sculpture. I aim to unlock the vast world of imagination concealed within these small pieces of metal.”
< Geumgang Byeondo: a Variation of the View of Mt. Geumgang (a twist of Geumgang Jeondo - a Complete View of Geumgangsan Mountain, 1734), 80x120cm, 2009 >
Ji has presented experimental works that transcend the boundaries of science and art through numerous exhibitions both domestically and internationally. His work has also been featured on the cover of the international academic journal Digital Creativity and is increasingly recognized for its artistic merit, with pieces housed in the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Turkey, the Seoul Museum of Art, and the 9/11 Memorial Center in the United States.
This solo exhibition, which will continue until the end of February of next year, is open to KAIST members and external visitors free of charge.
2025.05.20 View 721 -
“For the First Time, We Shared a Meaningful Exchange”: KAIST Develops an AI App for Parents and Minimally Verbal Autistic Children Connect
• KAIST team up with NAVER AI Lab and Dodakim Child Development Center Develop ‘AAcessTalk’, an AI-driven Communication Tool bridging the gap Between Children with Autism and their Parents
• The project earned the prestigious Best Paper Award at the ACM CHI 2025, the Premier International Conference in Human-Computer Interaction
• Families share heartwarming stories of breakthrough communication and newfound understanding.
< Photo 1. (From left) Professor Hwajung Hong and Doctoral candidate Dasom Choi of the Department of Industrial Design with SoHyun Park and Young-Ho Kim of Naver Cloud AI Lab >
For many families of minimally verbal autistic (MVA) children, communication often feels like an uphill battle. But now, thanks to a new AI-powered app developed by researchers at KAIST in collaboration with NAVER AI Lab and Dodakim Child Development Center, parents are finally experiencing moments of genuine connection with their children.
On the 16th, the KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) research team, led by Professor Hwajung Hong of the Department of Industrial Design, announced the development of ‘AAcessTalk,’ an artificial intelligence (AI)-based communication tool that enables genuine communication between children with autism and their parents.
This research was recognized for its human-centered AI approach and received international attention, earning the Best Paper Award at the ACM CHI 2025*, an international conference held in Yokohama, Japan.*ACM CHI (ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems) 2025: One of the world's most prestigious academic conference in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
This year, approximately 1,200 papers were selected out of about 5,000 submissions, with the Best Paper Award given to only the top 1%. The conference, which drew over 5,000 researchers, was the largest in its history, reflecting the growing interest in ‘Human-AI Interaction.’
Called AACessTalk, the app offers personalized vocabulary cards tailored to each child’s interests and context, while guiding parents through conversations with customized prompts. This creates a space where children’s voices can finally be heard—and where parents and children can connect on a deeper level.
Traditional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools have relied heavily on fixed card systems that often fail to capture the subtle emotions and shifting interests of children with autism. AACessTalk breaks new ground by integrating AI technology that adapts in real time to the child’s mood and environment.
< Figure. Schematics of AACessTalk system. It provides personalized vocabulary cards for children with autism and context-based conversation guides for parents to focus on practical communication. Large ‘Turn Pass Button’ is placed at the child’s side to allow the child to lead the conversation. >
Among its standout features is a large ‘Turn Pass Button’ that gives children control over when to start or end conversations—allowing them to lead with agency. Another feature, the “What about Mom/Dad?” button, encourages children to ask about their parents’ thoughts, fostering mutual engagement in dialogue, something many children had never done before.
One parent shared, “For the first time, we shared a meaningful exchange.” Such stories were common among the 11 families who participated in a two-week pilot study, where children used the app to take more initiative in conversations and parents discovered new layers of their children’s language abilities.
Parents also reported moments of surprise and joy when their children used unexpected words or took the lead in conversations, breaking free from repetitive patterns. “I was amazed when my child used a word I hadn’t heard before. It helped me understand them in a whole new way,” recalled one caregiver.
Professor Hwajung Hong, who led the research at KAIST’s Department of Industrial Design, emphasized the importance of empowering children to express their own voices. “This study shows that AI can be more than a communication aid—it can be a bridge to genuine connection and understanding within families,” she said.
Looking ahead, the team plans to refine and expand human-centered AI technologies that honor neurodiversity, with a focus on bringing practical solutions to socially vulnerable groups and enriching user experiences.
This research is the result of KAIST Department of Industrial Design doctoral student Dasom Choi's internship at NAVER AI Lab.* Thesis Title: AACessTalk: Fostering Communication between Minimally Verbal Autistic Children and Parents with Contextual Guidance and Card Recommendation* DOI: 10.1145/3706598.3713792* Main Author Information: Dasom Choi (KAIST, NAVER AI Lab, First Author), SoHyun Park (NAVER AI Lab) , Kyungah Lee (Dodakim Child Development Center), Hwajung Hong (KAIST), and Young-Ho Kim (NAVER AI Lab, Corresponding Author)
This research was supported by the NAVER AI Lab internship program and grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea: the Doctoral Student Research Encouragement Grant (NRF-2024S1A5B5A19043580) and the Mid-Career Researcher Support Program for the Development of a Generative AI-Based Augmentative and Alternative Communication System for Autism Spectrum Disorder (RS-2024-00458557).
2025.05.19 View 1635 -
Decoding Fear: KAIST Identifies An Affective Brain Circuit Crucial for Fear Memory Formation by Non-nociceptive Threat Stimulus
Fear memories can form in the brain following exposure to threatening situations such as natural disasters, accidents, or violence. When these memories become excessive or distorted, they can lead to severe mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and depression. However, the mechanisms underlying fear memory formation triggered by affective pain rather than direct physical pain have remained largely unexplored – until now.
A KAIST research team has identified, for the first time, a brain circuit specifically responsible for forming fear memories in the absence of physical pain, marking a significant advance in understanding how psychological distress is processed and drives fear memory formation in the brain. This discovery opens the door to the development of targeted treatments for trauma-related conditions by addressing the underlying neural pathways.
< Photo 1. (from left) Professor Jin-Hee Han, Dr. Junho Han and Ph.D. Candidate Boin Suh of the Department of Biological Sciences >
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on May 15th that the research team led by Professor Jin-Hee Han in the Department of Biological Sciences has identified the pIC-PBN circuit*, a key neural pathway involved in forming fear memories triggered by psychological threats in the absence of sensory pain. This groundbreaking work was conducted through experiments with mice.*pIC–PBN circuit: A newly identified descending neural pathway from the posterior insular cortex (pIC) to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), specialized for transmitting psychological threat information.
Traditionally, the lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN) has been recognized as a critical part of the ascending pain pathway, receiving pain signals from the spinal cord. However, this study reveals a previously unknown role for the PBN in processing fear induced by non-painful psychological stimuli, fundamentally changing our understanding of its function in the brain.
This work is considered the first experimental evidence that 'emotional distress' and 'physical pain' are processed through different neural circuits to form fear memories, making it a significant contribution to the field of neuroscience. It clearly demonstrates the existence of a dedicated pathway (pIC-PBN) for transmitting emotional distress.
The study's first author, Dr. Junho Han, shared the personal motivation behind this research: “Our dog, Lego, is afraid of motorcycles. He never actually crashed into one, but ever since having a traumatizing event of having a motorbike almost run into him, just hearing the sound now triggers a fearful response. Humans react similarly – even if you didn’t have a personal experience of being involved in an accident, a near-miss or exposure to alarming media can create lasting fear memories, which may eventually lead to PTSD.”
He continued, “Until now, fear memory research has mainly relied on experimental models involving physical pain. However, much of real-world human fears arise from psychological threats, rather than from direct physical harm. Despite this, little was known about the brain circuits responsible for processing these psychological threats that can drive fear memory formation.”
To investigate this, the research team developed a novel fear conditioning model that utilizes visual threat stimuli instead of electrical shocks. In this model, mice were exposed to a rapidly expanding visual disk on a ceiling screen, simulating the threat of an approaching predator. This approach allowed the team to demonstrate that fear memories can form in response to a non-nociceptive, psychological threat alone, without the need for physical pain.
< Figure 1. Artificial activation of the posterior insular cortex (pIC) to lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN) neural circuit induces anxiety-like behaviors and fear memory formation in mice. >
Using advanced chemogenetic and optogenetic techniques, the team precisely controlled neuronal activity, revealing that the lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is essential to form fear memories in response to visual threats. They further traced the origin of these signals to the posterior insular cortex (pIC), a region known to process negative emotions and pain, confirming a direct connection between the two areas.
The study also showed that inhibiting the pIC–PBN circuit significantly reduced fear memory formation in response to visual threats, without affecting innate fear responses or physical pain-based learning. Conversely, artificially activating this circuit alone was sufficient to drive fear memory formation, confirming its role as a key pathway for processing psychological threat information.
< Figure 2. Schematic diagram of brain neural circuits transmitting emotional & physical pain threat signals. Visual threat stimuli do not involve physical pain but can create an anxious state and form fear memory through the affective pain signaling pathway. >
Professor Jin-Hee Han commented, “This study lays an important foundation for understanding how emotional distress-based mental disorders, such as PTSD, panic disorder, and anxiety disorder, develop, and opens new possibilities for targeted treatment approaches.”
The findings, authored by Dr. Junho Han (first author), Ph.D. candidate Boin Suh (second author), and Dr. Jin-Hee Han (corresponding author) of the Department of Biological Sciences, were published online in the international journal Science Advances on May 9, 2025.※ Paper Title: A top-down insular cortex circuit crucial for non-nociceptive fear learning. Science Advances (https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.14.618356)※ Author Information: Junho Han (first author), Boin Suh (second author), and Jin-Hee Han (corresponding author)
This research was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2022M3E5E8081183 and NRF-2017M3C7A1031322).
2025.05.15 View 1324 -
KAIST's Pioneering VR Precision Technology & Choreography Tool Receive Spotlights at CHI 2025
Accurate pointing in virtual spaces is essential for seamless interaction. If pointing is not precise, selecting the desired object becomes challenging, breaking user immersion and reducing overall experience quality. KAIST researchers have developed a technology that offers a vivid, lifelike experience in virtual space, alongside a new tool that assists choreographers throughout the creative process.
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on May 13th that a research team led by Professor Sang Ho Yoon of the Graduate School of Culture Technology, in collaboration with Professor Yang Zhang of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has developed the ‘T2IRay’ technology and the ‘ChoreoCraft’ platform, which enables choreographers to work more freely and creatively in virtual reality. These technologies received two Honorable Mention awards, recognizing the top 5% of papers, at CHI 2025*, the best international conference in the field of human-computer interaction, hosted by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from April 25 to May 1.
< (From left) PhD candidates Jina Kim and Kyungeun Jung along with Master's candidate, Hyunyoung Han and Professor Sang Ho Yoon of KAIST Graduate School of Culture Technology and Professor Yang Zhang (top) of UCLA >
T2IRay: Enabling Virtual Input with Precision
T2IRay introduces a novel input method that allows for precise object pointing in virtual environments by expanding traditional thumb-to-index gestures. This approach overcomes previous limitations, such as interruptions or reduced accuracy due to changes in hand position or orientation.
The technology uses a local coordinate system based on finger relationships, ensuring continuous input even as hand positions shift. It accurately captures subtle thumb movements within this coordinate system, integrating natural head movements to allow fluid, intuitive control across a wide range.
< Figure 1. T2IRay framework utilizing the delicate movements of the thumb and index fingers for AR/VR pointing >
Professor Sang Ho Yoon explained, “T2IRay can significantly enhance the user experience in AR/VR by enabling smooth, stable control even when the user’s hands are in motion.”
This study, led by first author Jina Kim, was supported by the Excellent New Researcher Support Project of the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Ministry of Science and ICT, as well as the University ICT Research Center (ITRC) Support Project of the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP).
▴ Paper title: T2IRay: Design of Thumb-to-Index Based Indirect Pointing for Continuous and Robust AR/VR Input▴ Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713442
▴ T2IRay demo video: https://youtu.be/ElJlcJbkJPY
ChoreoCraft: Creativity Support through VR for Choreographers
In addition, Professor Yoon’s team developed ‘ChoreoCraft,’ a virtual reality tool designed to support choreographers by addressing the unique challenges they face, such as memorizing complex movements, overcoming creative blocks, and managing subjective feedback.
ChoreoCraft reduces reliance on memory by allowing choreographers to save and refine movements directly within a VR space, using a motion-capture avatar for real-time interaction. It also enhances creativity by suggesting movements that naturally fit with prior choreography and musical elements. Furthermore, the system provides quantitative feedback by analyzing kinematic factors like motion stability and engagement, helping choreographers make data-driven creative decisions.
< Figure 2. ChoreoCraft's approaches to encourage creative process >
Professor Yoon noted, “ChoreoCraft is a tool designed to address the core challenges faced by choreographers, enhancing both creativity and efficiency. In user tests with professional choreographers, it received high marks for its ability to spark creative ideas and provide valuable quantitative feedback.”
This research was conducted in collaboration with doctoral candidate Kyungeun Jung and master’s candidate Hyunyoung Han, alongside the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and One Million Co., Ltd. (CEO Hye-rang Kim), with support from the Cultural and Arts Immersive Service Development Project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
▴ Paper title: ChoreoCraft: In-situ Crafting of Choreography in Virtual Reality through Creativity Support Tools▴ Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714220
▴ ChoreoCraft demo video: https://youtu.be/Ms1fwiSBjjw
*CHI (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems): The premier international conference on human-computer interaction, organized by the ACM, was held this year from April 25 to May 1, 2025.
2025.05.13 View 1471