Experience and Exhibition of KAIST Research Achievements Including Walking Robot 'Hound' in Daejeon

KAIST will showcase advanced research achievements, including the quadruped robot ‘HOUND,’ through an interactive exhibition program open to the public.

KAIST announced on the 25th that from the 25th to the 28th, six research teams and three startup companies from KAIST will participate in the ‘2024 Korea Science Festival & Science and Technology Exhibition’ held at Daejeon Expo Citizen Plaza and Science Park, engaging with citizens.

The quadruped robot 'Hound' created by the KAIST research team. This robot holds the Guinness record for completing 100 meters in 19.87 seconds. Photo by Yonhap News

In the ‘Science Laboratory’ zone within the event venue, researchers in the fields of sleep, personal color, and brain structure will welcome visitors with interactive exhibits.

The research team led by Professor Hyunjeong Seok from the Department of Industrial Design will set up a booth called ‘The Authentic Color Play,’ offering an AI-based personal color diagnosis service. Visitors can directly experience technology that automatically measures skin tone and receive recommendations for colors optimized for their individual skin.

The research team led by Professor Jaekyung Kim from the Department of Mathematical Sciences will operate the ‘SLEEPS’ program, which allows visitors to determine the quality of their sleep in just three minutes. This experience uses a machine learning-based sleep disorder prediction algorithm to calculate the risk of sleep disorders through a simple survey and physical measurements. Visitors can also learn about lifestyle habits to reduce the risk of sleep disorders based on their test results.

The research team led by Professor Minyi Choi from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences will offer the ‘Mini Brain’ experience. This virtual reality (VR) program allows users to learn about brain structure by disassembling and assembling major parts of the brain. Additionally, visitors can participate in ‘Brain Coloring,’ where different parts of brain models with distinct functions are color-coded and stickers are applied, and watch simulation videos showing the process of mini brain formation from cells.

In the ‘Science Museum’ zone, KAIST’s research achievements in advanced bio, advanced robotics manufacturing, and advanced mobility will be exhibited.

The Science Museum zone is a space showcasing the country’s 12 strategic technology achievements. The research team led by Professor Byungkwan Cho from the Graduate School of Bio and Brain Engineering will exhibit the ‘Synthetic Biology-based CO2-to-Biomaterial Conversion Microbial Cell Factory Technology.’ This technology is a high-efficiency biocatalyst development technique that converts greenhouse gases, a major cause of environmental pollution, into biomaterials by absorbing them into microbes and applying genetic engineering techniques based on synthetic biology.

The research team led by Professor Haewon Park from the Department of Mechanical Engineering will unveil the quadruped robot for rough terrain exploration, ‘HOUND.’ HOUND is a robot capable of stable operation in unstructured obstacle environments such as stairs and rough terrain without the aid of visual or tactile sensors. Indoors, it can reach a maximum speed of 6.5 m/s. This robot holds a Guinness World Record for covering 100 meters in 19.87 seconds. HOUND will roam the event venue throughout the festival, greeting visitors.

KAIST will also exhibit technologies from innovative startup companies at the event. The chemistry startup ‘Polyphenol Factory’ will showcase ‘Gravity’ shampoo, which uses polyphenol technology to slow hair loss progression and enhance hair volume. The mechanical engineering startup ‘A2US Co., Ltd.’ will present a world-first product developed using the ‘Magic Electro Water droplets’ technology.

The startup ‘Kai Co., Ltd.’ from the Graduate School of Cultural Technology will exhibit ‘Mingle AI.’ Mingle AI is a generative AI tool that creates 3D avatars or objects by inputting various types of data such as images, audio, and video. It enables general users without specialized knowledge to easily produce digital humans and can be applied in fields such as gaming, entertainment, and social media.

KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee said, “It is meaningful to share KAIST’s excellent technologies with citizens through an interactive event that meets the public at eye level,” adding, “I hope this event becomes an opportunity to convey the efforts and sincerity of researchers working to solve social problems through science and technology to the public.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.