Seoul National University Establishes Joint Robotics Lab with Hyundai Motor Group, and Leading Korean Robotics Research Institutions
- New Partnership with Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Lab, POSTECH, and KIST to Advance Robotics Ecosystem
- Research Focus on Transparent Object Recognition, Improved Mobility, and Dual-Arm Control Technology


▲ (From left) POSTECH’s Director of Industry-Academic Cooperation Jong-kyu Kim, SNU College of Engineering Dean Young-oh Kim, Hyundai Motor’s R&D Division President Hee-won Yang , KIST AI and Robotics Research Center Director Ik-jae Kim 

Seoul National University (SNU) has partnered with Hyundai Motor Group, and prominent Korean robotics research institutions to advance cutting-edge robotics technology.

On October 22, SNU announced the establishment of the Joint Robotics Research Laboratory in collaboration with Hyundai Motor, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). This joint lab aims to enhance the technological competitiveness of mobile dual-arm robots and build a sustainable robotics research ecosystem.

At the ceremony held at the SNU Faculty Club, key representatives—including Dean Young-oh Kim from SNU's College of Engineering, President Hee-won Yang of Hyundai Motor’s R&D Division, POSTECH’s Director of Industry-Academic Cooperation Jong-kyu Kim, and KIST’s Director of AI and Robotics Research Ik-jae Kim—came together to affirm their commitment to advancing robotics technology.

The four institutions, along with Hyundai NGV, Hyundai Motor Group’s industry-academia collaboration company, have agreed to operate the joint lab for three years. The partnership will focus on advancing mobile dual-arm robot technology and fostering a thriving robotics research ecosystem through industry-academia collaboration.

Within the joint lab, SNU will concentrate on enhancing recognition technology for handling transparent objects, such as glass, and on advancing software so robots can grasp unregistered objects. SNU will also develop ultra-wide-angle camera technology, allowing robots to detect their surroundings accurately, and work on control mechanisms enabling dual-arm coordination for complex tasks.

The Hyundai-Kia Robotics Lab will focus on robotics hardware, enhancing the dexterity of robotic hands to manage complex shapes and improving autonomous mobility and task execution capabilities of mobile dual-arm robots.

POSTECH will explore remote haptic devices and imitation learning technology, advancing human-robot interaction for effective teleoperation. KIST will work on grasping technologies for handling unstructured objects and develop predictive algorithms to control robotic movements effectively.

Professor Ayoung Kim of SNU's Department of Mechanical Engineering, who heads the Joint Robotics Lab, stated, “We are honored to initiate a joint lab with the nation’s top researchers in academia and industry. We plan to develop key technologies that integrate recognition, decision-making, and control to further advance mobile dual-arm robots.”