Province holds KAIST Mobility AX Research Institute Innovation Day, bringing together youth, experts, and stakeholders.

Hands-on demonstrations and experiences feature cutting-edge technologies including rugged-terrain exploration rovers, agricultural autonomous robots, delivery drones, and AI climate platforms.

On October 6, Chungnam Province hosted the "Innovation Day" at the KAIST Mobility AX Research Institute within the Naepo Knowledge Industry Center in the Chungnam Innovation City, offering participants a firsthand experience of the present and future of future mobility.

Designed to strengthen collaborative networks within the regional industrial ecosystem, the event brought together local youth, cutting-edge startups, and industry-academia-research experts to share achievements and experience advanced technologies directly.

Key programs included:

"Youth Science Camp" for nurturing future talent.
"Networking Day" to maximize synergy between enterprises and investment institutions.
"Technology Demonstration" to showcase the research institute's innovative technologies.
During the morning "Science Club Science Camp," students participated in customized robotics sensor technology lectures and step-by-step hands-on programs, such as operating rugged-terrain rovers modeled after those in the University Rover Challenge (URC)—built by university students themselves. Mentored by "MR2," the KAIST student robotics team that advanced to the finals of this year’s international URC competition, the students gained vivid insights into the principles of cutting-edge robotics applicable to everyday life.

At the "Networking Day," resident companies of the institute and representatives from related organizations gathered to explore practical business cooperation measures. Starting with a presentation by Institute Director Kim In-hee on "Research and Development Cases of Next-Generation Energy Storage Systems (ESS)," the session introduced effective investment attraction (IR) strategies and plans for joint technology cooperation and research between KAIST researchers and resident companies. Participants strengthened cooperative networks to drive technology commercialization and open up new markets.

The "Technology Demonstration" drew around 150 attendees, including Chungnam Province Administrative Vice Governor Hong Jong-wan, Hongseong County Mayor Park Jung-joo, KAIST External Affairs Vice President Jung Jae-min, resident companies, and local residents, who witnessed the institute's core research achievements.

Six next-generation core technologies and physical products were unveiled on-site:

Metaearth Lab demonstrated its "AI and Big Data-based Climate Intelligence Platform," which instantly generates regional climate risk analysis reports and dashboards using natural language search.
Lebing M4 showcased its "Smart Impeller-based Purification Technology," designed to reduce industrial hazardous gases at low cost and high efficiency using high-speed rotation gas-liquid contact (Hyperspin) technology.
Team MR2 presented the "URC Rugged-Terrain Exploration Rover," capable of transporting goods with centimeter-level precision control while driving across harsh terrain like sand and gravel.
The Robotics demonstrated the "Agricultural Autonomous Following Robot," which follows operators to transport heavy agricultural produce using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless tracking technology without a separate communication network.
Coils and Hanwool Drone successfully demonstrated the "5kg-class Delivery Drone and Wireless Charging System," automating the entire process from precision landing and wireless charging to relaunching.
Picker Project caught attention with its "Lightweight AI Autonomous Driving Micro Pod (BILINY)," where attendees directly boarded a single-seat vehicle to experience autonomous driving over a designated route.
Attendees directly observed the demonstrations of innovative technologies poised to transform daily life and industrial fields, realizing Naepo New Town’s emergence as a central hub for future mobility testing and commercialization.

"The advanced technologies showcased today demonstrate that the institute's innovations are seamlessly connecting to on-site testing and commercialization," said Hong Jong-wan, Administrative Vice Governor of Chungnam Province. "By combining the technological prowess of the KAIST Mobility AX Research Institute with provincial support, we will complete a global mobility innovation hub where enterprises, talent, and investments create a virtuous cycle."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]