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Professor Min Hyuk Kim Appointed an Associate Editor on ACM Transactions on Graphics
Professor Min Hyuk Kim of KAIST's Computer Science Department has been appointed an associate editor for a prestigious international journal in the field of graphics, ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG).
Founded in 1947, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, delivering knowledge that advances computing as a science and profession.
Published during the past 35 years, ACM TOG is a highly regarded, peer-reviewed scientific journal that aims to disseminate the latest findings of research in computer graphics. Professor Kim is the first Korean scholar to serve the journal as an editor.
Professor Kim’s responsibilities are many, and they include selecting appropriate reviewers for submitted manuscripts to be published in the journal and reporting the results of review process.
He said, “The appointment was a great honor, and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to make further contributions to the advancement of the graphics field.”
Professor Kim has published numerous papers on computer graphics with a focus on research in 3D imaging spectroscopy and visual perception.
2014.07.14 View 9213 -
Discovery Channel Featured "TransWall" Developed by Professor Woohun Lee
One of the most popular television programs at Discovery Channel in Canada, Daily Planet, a daily science magazine show that delivers a fascinating mix of documentaries and features, aired "TransWall” (http://vimeo.com/70391422) developed by Professor Woohun Lee of Industrial Design at KAIST.
TransWall is a two-sided touchable transparent display with a surface transducer incorporated in the display. It enables users to see, hear, or even touch people standing on the other side of the display, thereby enhancing interactive experiences when playing games or communicating.
TransWall was introduced at the 2014 ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) held in Toronto, Canada, from April 26 to May 1. The Channel learned about the technology at the conference and produced the show on April 30, 2014.
To watch the show, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GGP59S7T2k&list=PLXmuftxI6pTXuyjjrGFlcN5YFTKZinDhK.
2014.05.29 View 8839 -
Book Announcement: The Transformative Power of Service Innovation
Professor
Tae-Sung Yoon of the Technology Management Graduate School at KAIST has
recently published a book entitled
The
Transformative Power of Service Innovation
(available only in Korean).
In the
book, Professor Yoon presents many examples of successful service innovations
and explores the topic of how excellence in innovation can be achieved through the
convergence of diverse fields and industries.
2014.04.01 View 7180 -
Professor Sang-Min received an award for scholar of the year from the KAISTian of the Year 2013
KAIST nominates a “Scholar of the Year” each year and presents the award to the recipient at a New Year’s opening ceremony. For the year 2013, Professor Sang-Min Bae of the Industrial Design Department at KAIST was named “KAIST Scholar of 2013” and received the award on January 2, 2014.
Professor Bae has been recognized for his design achievement in 2013: D’Light, a kinetic lighting that employs a transformable lampshade using flexible honeycomb structure, became one of the finalists in the living room and bedroom category of the International Design Excellence Award 2013 and was selected one of the best 100 for the 2013 Good Design Award. Users can easily change the shape and light intensity of the lamp by simply pivoting the lampshade with its small handle.
Professor Bae has also actively pursued his own philanthrophic projects through design: he has given the profits from the sales of his designs including D’Light directly toward a scholarship for needy children.
The Scholar of the Year award is presented to a faculty member or researcher at KAIST who has contributed to the advancement of science and technology such as publication of articles with influential research outcomes, invention of breakthrough technology, implementation of outstanding research projects, and improvement of public life. Professor Bae is the 13 th winner of the KAIST award.
The Korea Times, a leading English language newspaper in Korea, published an article on this award. For the article, please visit http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/people/2014/01/178_149117.html .
2014.01.09 View 9792 -
Mechanism in regulation of cancer-related key enzyme, ATM, for DNA damage and repair revealed
Professor Kwang-Wook Choi
A research team led by Professor Kwang-Wook Choi and Dr. Seong-Tae Hong from the Department of Biological Sciences at KAIST has successfully investigated the operational mechanism of the protein Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM), an essential protein to the function of a crucial key enzyme that repairs the damaged DNA which stores biometric information. The results were published on December 19th Nature Communications online edition.
All organisms, including humans, constantly strive to protect the information within their DNA from damages posed by a number of factors, such as carbonized materials in our daily food intake, radioactive materials such as radon emitting from the cement of buildings or ultraviolet of the sunlight, which could be a trigger for cancer.
In order to keep the DNA information safe, the organisms are always carrying out complex and sophisticated DNA repair work, which involves the crucial DNA damage repair protein ATM. Consequently, a faulty ATM leads to higher risks of cancer.
Until now, academia predicted that the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) will play an important role in regulating the function of ATM. However, since most of main research regarding TCTP has only been conducted in cultured cells, it was unable to identify exactly what mechanisms TCTP employs to control ATM.
The KAIST research team identified that TCTP can combine with ATM or increase the enzymatic activity of ATM. In addition, Drosophilia, one of the most widely used model organisms for molecular genetics, has been used to identify that TCTP and ATM play a very important role in repairing the DNA damaged by radiation. This information has allowed the researchers to establish TCTP’s essential function in maintaining the DNA information in cell cultures and even in higher organisms, and to provide specific and important clues to the regulation of ATM by TCTP.
Professor Kwang-Wook Choi said, “Our research is a good example that basic research using Drosophilia can make important contributions to understanding the process of diseases, such as cancer, and to developing adequate treatment.”
The research has been funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Republic of Korea, and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Figure 1. When the amount of TCTP protein is reduced, cells of the Drosophila's eye are abnormally deformed by radiation. Scale bars = 200mm
Figure 2. When the amount of TCTP protein is reduced, the chromosomes of Drosophilia are easily broken by radiation. Scale bars = 10 mm.
Figure 3. When gene expressions of TCTP and ATM are reduced, large defects occur in the normal development of the eye. (Left: normal Drosophilia's eye, right: development-deficient eye)
Figure 4. ATM marks the position of the broken DNA, with TCTP helping to facilitate this reaction. DNA (blue line) within the cell nucleus is coiled around the histone protein (green cylinder). When DNA is broken, ATM protein attaches a phosphate group (P). Multiple DNA repair protein recognizes the phosphate as a signal that requires repair and gathers at the site.
2014.01.07 View 11815 -
KAIST Takes Steps towards a Self-Sustainable Campus
KAIST has been selected for a $45-million national smart grid initiative organized under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Ninteen institutions will participate in the 2-year-long initiative. The consortium’s work is expected to take place from 2015 to 2017 after a review by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.
The Smart Grid Explansion Initiative which has been considered the future of electric power industry implements information and communications technology to conventional grid system to maximize energy efficiency. The ROK government has selected the Smart Grid Expansion Initiative as one of South Korea’s primary national projects and plans to implement it nationwide based on multiple demonstration projects in major cities including Jeju.
KAIST plans to invest $45 million in developing systems for renewable energy power plants, efficient energy management, smart grid data, and electric vehicles to build the energy self-sustainable campus. It also hopes to contribute to fostering specialized talents and companies in energy management.
Byoung-Yoon Kim, the vice-president for research at KAIST, expects that by 2017, KAIST will be able to dramatically improve its energy capacity especially during peak periods and gain energy efficiency around the campus. He hopes that the micro grid project at KAIST will set a new standard for the self-sustainable campus.
2013.12.11 View 7810 -
Professor Chun-Taek Rim Appointed as Associate Editor for IEEE TPEL
Professor Chun-Taek Rim of the nuclear and quantum engineering at KAIST was appointed as an associate editor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Transactions on Power Electronics (TPEL), an eminent academic journal bio-monthly published in the field of power electronics.The journal has a high impact factor (4.08), a measure reflecting the average number of citations to recent articles published in an academic journal, which ranks as the 6th the most influential journal among the 100 journals published by IEEE.Professor Rim was also appointed to an associate editor for IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics in September in recognition of his expertise in wireless power and electric vehicles.
2013.11.15 View 9872 -
2013 International Forum on Eco-Friendly Vehicle and System
Leaders in transportation technology gathered at KAIST to discuss commercialization & standardization and to encourage the exchange of research progress, strategy, and future initiatives in transportation technology.
The Graduate School for Green Transportation at KAIST hosted the 2013 International Forum on Eco-friendly Vehicles and Systems (IFEV) in Fusion Hall of the KAIST Institute Building from October 21 to 22.
About 50 leaders in the field of future transportation from academic institutes and industries including Dr. Soon-Man Hong, President of Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI), Dr. Kwang-Hee Nam, Professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and Mr. Mike Schagrin, the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Manager of the US Department of Transportation (retired) participated in the 4th annual IFEV.
The commercialization & standardization session and a technical session were followed by the plenary meeting of the forum.
Dr. Hong, the keynote speaker, introduced the High Capacity Double Deck High Speed Train, Near Surface Subway System, and Urban Railway System with Wireless Power Transfer Technology under the title “Korea’s Policy and Technology Initiative for Enhancing Green Transport Systems.”
Dr. Kwang-Hee Nam presented “Electric Vehicle Trends & the POSTECH E-Car Research Center Power Train Design,” followed by Mr. Mike Schagrin who spoke about “Going Green with Connected Automation.”
Dr. Omer C. Onar from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) shared recent research on “ORNL Development in Stationary and Dynamic Wireless Charging.”
In the commercialization session, Faical Turki of Vahle, Germany, presented “Wireless Inductive Battery Chargers,” and Professor Kazuyuki Ouchi from Tokyo University presented “Wind Challenger, the Next Generation Hybrid Vessels.”
In the technical session, presentations and discussions were performed on future ground vehicles and railroad technology, intelligent transportation systems and strategy, and policy on eco-friendly vehicle technology, including Professor In-Soo Suh of the Graduate School for Green Transportation at KAIST who presented on “Armadillo-T: 4WD Micro Electric EV with a Foldable Body Concept.”
On the second day of IFEV 2013, representatives of the European Union’s Safe and Green Road Vehicles (SAGE) consortium discussed connectivity in road transportation as a means of improving safety, efficiency and convenience in future safe and green vehicles with collaboration from Korean transportation organizations such as the Korea Transport Institute and Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.
Professor Suh, who organized the forum, said, “This forum will serve as an excellent opportunity to discuss and share R&BD progress in the green transportation field. “Details can be found at http://gt.kaist.ac.kr/ifev2013/.
2013.11.15 View 11104 -
KAIST student wins Aerospace Student Papers Grand Prize
Dong-Il Yoo, a doctoral candidate under Professor Hyun-Chul Shim, at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, KAIST, has been awarded the Second Prize Award at the 11th Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Paper Contest. The award ceremony was held on October 30th at the media conference room at the KINTEX ADEX 2013 Exhibition in Seoul.
Yoo"s paper, titled "A Study on Virtual Pursuit Point-based Autonomous Air Combat Guidance Law for UCAV," is highly regarded for originality and creativity. The Field Robotics Center at the KAIST Institute, where Yoo conducted his research, also received the first prize at the 7th KAI Paper Contest.
The KAI Paper Contest was first organized in 2003 to promote academic interest and advance research and development in aerospace engineering among university students.
The KAI Paper Contest is one of the most prestigious contests in Korea. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korean Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, the Korea Aerospace Industries Association, and the Korea Civil Aviation Development Association.
Dong-Il Yoo (left) and Professor Hyun-Chul Shim (right)
2013.11.11 View 11011 -
Therapy developed to induce Angiogenesis of Retina
- Junyeop Lee, Graduate School of Medical Sciences and Engineering
- Research results expected to be applied for treatment of diabetic retinopathy
A major clue to treatment of retinovascular disease, which causes blindness, has been found. The key to protection of the retinal nerve is the angiogenic protein that promotes healthy retinal vessel growth around the retina, which usually does not receive blood supply readily. This research offers a beginning to the possible improvement of therapy for diabetic retinopathy1 and retinopathy of prematurity2. Also important to the research is the fact that the ophthalmology specialist researcher, currently undergoing professional training, provided the results.
KAIST Graduate School of Medical Sciences and Engineering’s Junyeop Lee is the opthalmology specialist, who carried out the research under supervision by academic advisers Gyuyeong Go and Wookjun Yoo. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning as well as the National Research Foundation of Korea have funded his research. The research results have been published as a cover paper on ‘Science Translational Medicine’ on 18th August. This journal is a sister publication of Science, which is prestigious in the field of translational medicine that ties the basic science with clinical medicine. (Thesis title: Angiopoietin-1 Guides Directional Angiogenesis Through Integrin αvβ5 Signaling for Recovery of Ischemic Retinopathy)
The traditional treatment of diabetic retinopathy includes laser photocoagulation to destroy the retinal tissues or antibody therapeutics, which prevents vessel proliferation and blood leaking. The advantage of antibody therapeutics3 is that it retains the retinal nerves, however, it is not the fundamental solution but merely a temporary one, which requires repeated treatments.
The research team identified that Angiopoietin-14 protein, known as essential for growth and stabilization of vessels, also plays an important role in retinal vessel growth. The protein protects the retinal nerves, as well as provides improvement for retinal ischemia5 that is the root cause of vision loss due to retinal hemorrhages. It is expected to become a key to finding fundamental treatment method – by providing sufficient blood supply to the retina, thereby preserving the retinal nerve functions.
The results show that administration of Angiopoietin-1 to retinopathy mouse model promotes growth of healthy vessel growth, further preventing abnormal vessel growth, retinal hemorrhage and vision loss due to retinal ischemia.
Junyeop Lee said, “This research has identified that Angiopoietin-1 is an important factor in retinal vessel generation and stabilization. The paradigm will shift from traditional treatment method, which prevents vessel growth, to a new method that generates healthy vessels and strengthens vessel functions.”
1 Diabetic retinopathy: This retinovascular disease is a diabetic complication caused by insufficient blood supply. It is the major causes of blindness in adults.
2 Retinopathy of prematurity: The retinal vascular disease that occurs in premature infants with incomplete retinal vascular development. It is also the most common cause of blindness in children.
3 Antibody Therapeutics: Antibody developed to selectively inhibit abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage. Typical antibody therapeutics is Avastin and Lucentis, which hinder vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
4 Angiopoietin-1: A critical growth factor that induces the production of healthy blood vessels and maintains the stability of the created vessel.
5 Retinal ischemia: State of ailment where retinal tissue blood supply is not sufficient.
Figure 1. Retinopathy mouse models show that, in comparison to the control group, the VEGF-Trap treatment and Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) treatment groups significantly suppresses the pathological vascular proliferation. In addition, the Ang 1 group show vessel growth toward the central avascular area (region of retinal ischemia), which is not observed in VEGF-Trap treatment.
Figure 2. Reduced retinal ischemia, retinal bleeding and blood vessel normalization by Angiopoietin-1. Retinal ischemic region (arrow) and retinal bleeding significantly reduced in the Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) treatment model in comparison to control group (left). The newly generated vessels in Ang 1 model are structurally supported by perivascular cells as normal retinal vessels do (right).
2013.10.12 View 10482 -
Transparent Glass Wall as a Touch Game Media
Professor Woo-hoon Lee
- Selected as the “Highlight” at SIGGRAPH emerging technology conference
- “An excellent example of the transparent display panel in everyday life”
A joint research team led by KAIST Industrial Design Department’s Prof. Woo-hoon Lee and Computer Sciences Prof. Ki-hyuk Lee has developed a brand new concept game media “TransWall”, which utilizes both sides of the glass wall as the touch medium.
TransWall has been chosen as the “highlight” of 2013 SIGGRAPH emerging technology conference. SIGGRAPH is a world-renowned conference in the area of computer graphics and interaction technique, last held 21st-25th July at Anaheim, in the United States.
It all started with the thought, wouldn’t it be possible to turn the glass walls surrounding us into a medium for entertainment and communication?
TransWall utilizes holographic screen film inserted between two glass sheets with a multi-touch function, onto which the image can be projected using the beam projector from both sides. Furthermore, an additional Surface Transducer attached to the glass can deliver the sound and vibration.
What seemed as an ordinary glass wall has been transformed into a multi-sensory media that can transmit and receive visual, auditory and tactile information.
TransWall can be implemented at public places such as theme parks, large shopping malls and subway stations, providing the citizens with a new form of entertainment. This touch-interaction method can also be applied to developing a variety of cultural contents in the future.
Professor Lee said, “TransWall shows an example of near-future where touch-interaction method can be utilized with the soon-to-be commercialized transparent display panel in everyday lives.”
TransWall Introduction video (https://vimeo.com/70391422)
TransWall at SIGGRAPH 2013 Display (https://vimeo.com/71718874)
Picture 1. Both sides of the glass wall can be used as a touch platform for various medias, including games.
Picture 2. TransWall attracts the interests of the audience at SIGGRAPH emerging technology.
Picture 3. Structure of TransWall
Picture 4. Photo of TransWall from side
2013.09.19 View 8882 -
KAIST unveils foldable micro electric car, Armadillo-T
The small and light electric car completely folds in half when parking, making it a perfect fit for public or private transportation in an urban environment.
Looking for a parking space for hours at a busy shopping mall or being stuck on roads jammed with cars releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide are all-too-familiar scenes for city dwellers.
A group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) recently developed a possible solution to such problems: a foldable, compact electric vehicle that can be utilized either as a personal car or part of the public transit system to connect major transportation routes within a city.
In-Soo Suh, associate professor of the Graduate School for Green Transportation at KAIST, and his research team introduced a prototype micro electric car called "Armadillo-T," whose design is based on a native animal of South America, the armadillo, a placental mammal with a leathery armor shell.
The research team imitated the animal"s distinctive protection characteristic of rolling up into a ball when facing with threat from predators. Just as armadillos hide themselves inside the shell, Armadillo-T tucks its rear body away, shrinking its original size of 2.8 meters (110 inches) down to almost half, 1.65 meters (65 inches), when folding.
Armadillo-T is a four-wheel-drive, all-electric car with two seats and four in-wheel motors. Since the motors are installed inside the wheels, and the 13.6 kWh capacity of lithium-ion battery pack is housed on the front side, the battery and motors do not have to change their positions when the car folds. This not only optimizes the energy efficiency but also provides stability and ample room to drivers and passengers.
Once folded, the small and light (weighs 450 kg) electric vehicle takes up only one-third of a 5-meter parking space, the standard parking size in Korea, allowing three of its kind to be parked. With a smartphone-interfaced remote control on the wheels, the vehicle can turn 360 degrees, enhancing drivers" convenience to park the car, even in an odd space in a parking lot, the corner of a building, for example.
Professor In-Soo Suh said, "I expect that people living in cities will eventually shift their preferences from bulky, petro-engine cars to smaller and lighter electric cars. Armadillo-T can be one of the alternatives city drivers can opt for. Particularly, this car is ideal for urban travels, including car-sharing and transit transfer, to offer major transportation links in a city. In addition to the urban application, local near-distance travels such as tourist zones or large buildings can be another example of application."
The concept car has loads of smart features on board, too: the cameras installed inside the car eliminate the need for side mirrors and increase the driver"s ability to see the car"s right and left side, thereby reducing blind spots. With a smartphone, the driver can control Armadillo-T and enable remote folding control. The car has a maximum speed of 60 km/h, and with a ten-minute fast charge, it can run up to 100 km.
Professor Suh explained that the concept of Armadillo-T was originally initiated in 2011 as he focused his research interest on the sub-A segment of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), which are smaller and lighter than the current compact cars, as a new personalized transport mode.
"In coming years, we will see more mega-size cities established and face more serious environmental problems. Throughout the world, the aging population is rapidly growing as well. To cope with climate, energy, and limited petroleum resources, we really need to think outside the box, once again, to find more convenient and eco-friendly transportation, just as the Ford Model T did in the early 1920s. A further level of R&D, technical standards, and regulatory reviews are required to have these types of micro vehicles or PMVs on the market through test-bed evaluations, but we believe that Armadillo-T is an icon toward the future transport system with technology innovation."
The research project has been supported by the Korean government, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement, since December 2012.Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DoZH7Y-sR0
2013.08.21 View 13949