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KAIST Develops a Fire-risk Free Self-Powered Hydrogen Production System
KAIST researchers have developed a new hydrogen production system that overcomes the current limitations of green hydrogen production. By using a water-splitting system with an aqueous electrolyte, this system is expected to block fire risks and enable stable hydrogen production.
KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 22nd of October that a research team led by Professor Jeung Ku Kang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering developed a self-powered hydrogen production system based on a high-performance zinc-air battery*.
*Zinc-air battery: A primary battery that absorbs oxygen from the air and uses it as an oxidant. Its advantage is long life, but its low electromotive force is a disadvantage.
Hydrogen (H₂) is a key raw material for synthesizing high-value-added substances, and it is gaining attention as a clean fuel with an energy density (142 MJ/kg) more than three times higher than traditional fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, etc.). However, most current hydrogen production methods impose environmental burden as they emit carbon dioxide (CO₂).
While green hydrogen can be produced by splitting water using renewable energy sources such as solar cells and wind power, these sources are subject to irregular power generation due to weather and temperature fluctuations, leading to low water-splitting efficiency.
To overcome this, air batteries that can emit sufficient voltage (greater than 1.23V) for water splitting have been gaining attention. However, achieving sufficient capacity requires expensive precious metal catalysts and the performance of the catalyst materials becomes significantly degraded during prolonged charge and discharge cycles. Thus, it is essential to develop catalysts that are effective for the water-splitting reactions (oxygen and hydrogen evolution) and materials that can stabilize the repeated charge and discharge reactions (oxygen reduction and evolution) in zinc-air battery electrodes.
In response, Professor Kang's research team proposed a method to synthesize a non-precious metal catalyst material (G-SHELL) that is effective for three different catalytic reactions (oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, and oxygen reduction) by growing nano-sized, metal-organic frameworks on graphene oxide.
The team incorporated the developed catalyst material into the air cathode of a zinc-air battery, confirming that it achieved approximately five times higher energy density (797Wh/kg), high power characteristics (275.8mW/cm²), and long-term stability even under repeated charge and discharge conditions compared to conventional batteries.
Additionally, the zinc-air battery, which operates using an aqueous electrolyte, is safe from fire risks. It is expected that this system can be applied as a next-generation energy storage device when linked with water electrolysis systems, offering an environmentally friendly method for hydrogen production.
< Figure 1. Illustrations of a trifunctional graphene-sandwiched heterojunction-embedded layered lattice (G-SHELL) structure. Schematic representation of a) synthesis procedures of G-SHELL from a zeolitic imidazole framework, b) hollow core-layered shell structure with trifunctional sites for oxygen reduction evolution (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and c) heterojunctions, eterojunction-induced internal electric fields, and the corresponding band structure. >
Professor Kang explained, "By developing a catalyst material with high activity and durability for three different electrochemical catalytic reactions at low temperatures using simple methods, the self-powered hydrogen production system we implemented based on zinc-air batteries presents a new breakthrough to overcome the current limitations of green hydrogen production."
<Figure 2. Electrochemical performance of a ZAB-driven water-splitting cell with G-SHELL. Diagram of a self-driven water-splitting cell integrated by combining a ZAB with an alkaline water electrolyzer.>
PhD candidate Dong Won Kim and Jihoon Kim, a master's student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST, were co-first authors of this research, which was published in the international journal Advanced Science on September 17th in the multidisciplinary field of materials science. (Paper Title: “Trifunctional Graphene-Sandwiched Heterojunction-Embedded Layered Lattice Electrocatalyst for High Performance in Zn-Air Battery-Driven Water Splitting”)
This research was supported by the Nano and Material Technology Development Program of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Future Technology Research Laboratory.
2024.10.22 View 1058 -
KAIST Develops Technology for the Precise Diagnosis of Electric Vehicle Batteries Using Small Currents
Accurately diagnosing the state of electric vehicle (EV) batteries is essential for their efficient management and safe use. KAIST researchers have developed a new technology that can diagnose and monitor the state of batteries with high precision using only small amounts of current, which is expected to maximize the batteries’ long-term stability and efficiency.
KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 17th of October that a research team led by Professors Kyeongha Kwon and Sang-Gug Lee from the School of Electrical Engineering had developed electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technology that can be used to improve the stability and performance of high-capacity batteries in electric vehicles.
EIS is a powerful tool that measures the impedance* magnitude and changes in a battery, allowing the evaluation of battery efficiency and loss. It is considered an important tool for assessing the state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) of batteries. Additionally, it can be used to identify thermal characteristics, chemical/physical changes, predict battery life, and determine the causes of failures. *Battery Impedance: A measure of the resistance to current flow within the battery that is used to assess battery performance and condition.
However, traditional EIS equipment is expensive and complex, making it difficult to install, operate, and maintain. Moreover, due to sensitivity and precision limitations, applying current disturbances of several amperes (A) to a battery can cause significant electrical stress, increasing the risk of battery failure or fire and making it difficult to use in practice.
< Figure 1. Flow chart for diagnosis and prevention of unexpected combustion via the use of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for the batteries for electric vehicles. >
To address this, the KAIST research team developed and validated a low-current EIS system for diagnosing the condition and health of high-capacity EV batteries. This EIS system can precisely measure battery impedance with low current disturbances (10mA), minimizing thermal effects and safety issues during the measurement process.
In addition, the system minimizes bulky and costly components, making it easy to integrate into vehicles. The system was proven effective in identifying the electrochemical properties of batteries under various operating conditions, including different temperatures and SOC levels.
Professor Kyeongha Kwon (the corresponding author) explained, “This system can be easily integrated into the battery management system (BMS) of electric vehicles and has demonstrated high measurement accuracy while significantly reducing the cost and complexity compared to traditional high-current EIS methods. It can contribute to battery diagnosis and performance improvements not only for electric vehicles but also for energy storage systems (ESS).”
This research, in which Young-Nam Lee, a doctoral student in the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST participated as the first author, was published in the prestigious international journal IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics (top 2% in the field; IF 7.5) on September 5th. (Paper Title: Small-Perturbation Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy System With High Accuracy for High-Capacity Batteries in Electric Vehicles, Link: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10666864)
< Figure 2. Impedance measurement results of large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles. ZEW (commercial EW; MP10, Wonatech) versus ZMEAS (proposed system) >
This research was supported by the Basic Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Next-Generation Intelligent Semiconductor Technology Development Program of the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology, and the AI Semiconductor Graduate Program of the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation.
2024.10.17 View 1236 -
KAIST Industrial Design’s Professor Sangmin Bae’s team selected as Top 20 of James Dyson Award 2024
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced that the 'Oxynizer', a non-electrical medical oxygen generator for developing countries designed by Professor Sangmin Bae's team in the Department of Industrial Design, has been selected to be the Top 20 of the James Dyson Award 2024. At the same time, it was announced on the 16th that it was selected as one of the top 100 ‘Prototypes for Humanity’ 2024 and will be exhibited in Dubai in November.
< Photo 1. Photo of the award-winning team of Professor Sangmin Bae’s students of KAIST Department of Industrial Designs at the James Dyson Award 2024 announcement of the National Winners >
The James Dyson Award is a design award hosted by Sir James Dyson, founder of Dyson, and receives ideas for solving everyday problems from next-generation engineers and designers around the world, and selects and awards innovative and excellent designs every year.
The ‘Oxynizer’ developed by Professor Sangmin Bae’s team was selected as the winner of the screening within Korea in September after competing with 122 domestic teams, and was awarded a prize of 5,000 pounds for idea advancement, product development, and commercialization.
< Photo 2. A photo of Professor Sangmin Bae’s students’ award-winning achievement, ‘Oxynizer’ >
In addition, on October 16th, it was selected as one of the top 20 international winners among 1,911 competing works from 29 countries around the world. The international winner will be selected by Sir James Dyson and announced on November 13th. The international competition winner will receive a prize of £5,000, and the winner will receive an additional £30,000, giving them the opportunity to commercialize their idea.
‘Prototype for Humanity’ is a global project hosted by Art Dubai Group and carried out in collaboration with Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Arts & Culture Authority, and Dubai International Financial Center. It is a forum for international cooperation where leading universities around the world, including Harvard University and MIT, participate to discuss global problems and solutions.
‘Oxynizer’ was selected on September 11 as one of the top 100 out of 3,000 entries submitted by universities in over 100 countries, and will be exhibited at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers of Dubai Future Foundation from November 17 to 22. The organizers will select the top five during the exhibition period, and will award a total of $100,000 in prize money to the winners to support their research.
The ‘Oxynizer’ is a device developed by students Jiwon Kim, Kyeongho Park, Seung-Jun Lee, Jiwon Lee, Yeohyeon Jeong, and Jungwoo Kim under the guidance of Professor Sangmin Bae of KAIST, and is the result of research conducted in the ‘Design Project 1’ class for the graduate students of the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST.
< Photo 3. A photo of Professor Sangmin Bae’s students’ award-winning achievement, ‘Oxynizer’ >
This device was designed to solve the problem of difficulty in supplying oxygen in developing countries due to high installation and maintenance costs. The device was designed to create concentrated oxygen to supply it to a patient in urgent need using an air pump for bicycles, which should be found more easily than a medical oxygen tank.
Professor Sangmin Bae said, “This device creates oxygen using a bicycle air pump and supplies it to patients, and it can separate water vapor and nitrogen in the air using silica gel and zeolite, which are the main materials of the filter, to supply oxygen with a concentration of up to 50%.” “In addition, the filter can be heated and reused after 120 hours of use, so it has the advantage of being able to be used semi-permanently,” he emphasized.
< Photo 4. A photo of Professor Sangmin Bae’s students’ award-winning achievement, ‘Oxynizer’ >
The results of the self-research derived from the KAIST Industrial Design Department class were selected as a world-class award winner and exhibition piece in competition with excellent universities around the world, once again proving the global competitiveness of the KAIST Industrial Design Department.
2024.10.16 View 1013 -
KAIST Develops Janus-like Metasurface Technology that Acts According to the Direction of Light
Metasurface technology is an advanced optical technology that is thinner, lighter, and capable of precisely controlling light through nanometer-sized artificial structures compared to conventional technologies. KAIST researchers have overcome the limitations of existing metasurface technologies and successfully designed a Janus metasurface capable of perfectly controlling asymmetric light transmission. By applying this technology, they also proposed an innovative method to significantly enhance security by only decoding information under specific conditions.
KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 15th of October that a research team led by Professor Jonghwa Shin from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering had developed a Janus metasurface capable of perfectly controlling asymmetric light transmission.
Asymmetric properties, which react differently depending on the direction, play a crucial role in various fields of science and engineering. The Janus metasurface developed by the research team implements an optical system capable of performing different functions in both directions.
Like the Roman god Janus with two faces, this metasurface shows entirely different optical responses depending on the direction of incoming light, effectively operating two independent optical systems with a single device (for example, a metasurface that acts as a magnifying lens in one direction and as a polarized camera in the other). In other words, by using this technology, it's possible to operate two different optical systems (e.g., a lens and a hologram) depending on the direction of the light.
This achievement addresses a challenge that existing metasurface technologies had not resolved. Conventional metasurface technology had limitations in selectively controlling the three properties of light—intensity, phase, and polarization—based on the direction of incidence.
The research team proposed a solution based on mathematical and physical principles, and succeeded in experimentally implementing different vector holograms in both directions. Through this achievement, they showcased a complete asymmetric light transmission control technology.
< Figure 1. Schematics of a device featuring asymmetric transmission. a) Device operating as a magnifying lens for back-side illumination. b) Device operating as a polarization camera for front-side illumination. >
Additionally, the research team developed a new optical encryption technology based on this metasurface technology. By using the Janus metasurface, they implemented a vector hologram that generates different images depending on the direction and polarization state of incoming light, showcasing an optical encryption system that significantly enhances security by allowing information to be decoded only under specific conditions.
This technology is expected to serve as a next-generation security solution, applicable in various fields such as quantum communication and secure data transmission.
Furthermore, the ultra-thin structure of the metasurface is expected to significantly reduce the volume and weight of traditional optical devices, contributing greatly to the miniaturization and lightweight design of next-generation devices.
< Figure 2. Experimental demonstration of Janus vectorial holograms. With front illuminations, vector images of the butterfly and the grasshopper are created, and with the back-side illuminations, vector images of the ladybug and the beetle are created. >
Professor Jonghwa Shin from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST stated, "This research has enabled the complete asymmetric transmission control of light’s intensity, phase, and polarization, which has been a long-standing challenge in optics. It has opened up the possibility of developing various applied optical devices." He added, "We plan to continue developing optical devices that can be applied to various fields such as augmented reality (AR), holographic displays, and LiDAR systems for autonomous vehicles, utilizing the full potential of metasurface technology."
This research, in which Hyeonhee Kim (a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST) and Joonkyo Jung participated as co-first authors, was published online in the international journal Advanced Materials and is scheduled to be published in the October 31 issue. (Title of the paper: "Bidirectional Vectorial Holography Using Bi-Layer Metasurfaces and Its Application to Optical Encryption")
The research was supported by the Nano Materials Technology Development Program and the Mid-Career Researcher Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2024.10.15 View 1008 -
KAIST Develops Stretchable Displays Featuring 25% Expansion Without Image Distortion
Stretchable displays, praised for their spatial efficiency, design flexibility, and human-like flexibility, are seen as the next generation of display technology. A team of Korean researchers has developed a stretchable display that can expand by 25% while maintaining clear image quality without distortion. It can also stretch and contract up to 5,000 times at 15% expansion without any performance degradation, making it the first deformation-free stretchable display with a negative Poisson's ratio* developed in Korea.
*Poisson’s ratio of -1: A ratio where both width and length stretch equally, expressed as a negative value. A positive Poisson's ratio represents the ratio where horizontal stretching leads to vertical contraction, which is the case for most materials.
KAIST (represented by President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on the 20th of August that a research team led by Professor Byeong-Soo Bae of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Director of the Wearable Platform Materials Technology Center) , in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (President Seoghyeon Ryu), successfully developed a stretchable display substrate that suppresses image distortion through omnidirectional stretchability.
Currently, most stretchable displays are made with highly elastic elastomer* materials, but these materials possess a positive Poisson's ratio, causing unavoidable image distortion when the display is stretched.
*Elastomer: A polymer with elasticity similar to rubber.
To address this, the introduction of auxetic* meta-structures has been gaining attention. Unlike conventional materials, auxetic structures have a unique 'negative Poisson's ratio,' expanding in all directions when stretched in just one direction. However, traditional auxetic structures contain many empty spaces, limiting their stability and usability in display substrates.
*Auxetic structure: A special geometric structure that exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio.
To tackle the issue of image distortion, Professor Bae's research team developed a method to create a seamless surface for the auxetic meta-structure, achieving the ideal negative Poisson's ratio of -1 and overcoming the biggest challenge in auxetic meta-structures.
To overcome the second issue of elastic modulus*, the team inserted a textile made of glass fiber bundles with a diameter of just 25 micrometers (a quarter of the thickness of human hair) into the elastomer material. They then filled the empty spaces with the same elastomer, creating a flat and stable integrated film without gaps.
*Elastic Modulus: The ratio that indicates the extent of deformation when force is applied to a material. A higher elastic modulus means that the material is less likely to deform under force.
The research team theoretically identified that the difference in elasticity between the auxetic structure and the elastomer material directly influences the negative Poisson's ratio and successfully achieved an elasticity difference of over 230,000 times, producing a film with a Poisson's ratio of -1, the theoretical limit.
< Figure 2. Deformation of S-AUX film. a) Configurations and visualized principal strain distribution of the optimized S-AUX film at various strain rates. b) Biaxial stretching image. While pristine elastomer shrinks in the directions that were not stretched, S-AUX film developed in this study expands in all directions simultaneously while maintaining its original shape. >
Professor Byeong-Soo Bae, who led the study, explained, "Preventing image distortion using auxetic structures in stretchable displays is a core technology, but it has faced challenges due to the many empty spaces in the surface, making it difficult to use as a substrate. This research outcome is expected to significantly accelerate commercialization through high-resolution, distortion-free stretchable display applications that utilize the entire surface."
This study, co-authored by Dr. Yung Lee from KAIST’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Dr. Bongkyun Jang from the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, was published on August 20th in the international journal Nature Communications under the title "A seamless auxetic substrate with a negative Poisson's ratio of –1".
The research was supported by the Wearable Platform Materials Technology Center at KAIST, the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, and LG Display.
< Figure 3. Structural configuration of the distortion-free display components on the S-AUX film and a contour image of a micro-LED chip transferred onto the S-AUX film. >
< Figure 4. Schematic illustrations and photographic images of the S-AUX film-based image: distortion-free display in its stretched state and released state. >
2024.09.20 View 2101 -
Professor Jimin Park and Dr. Inho Kim join the ranks of the 2024 "35 Innovators Under 35" by the MIT Technology Review
< (From left) Professor Jimin Park of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Dr. Inho Kim, a graduate of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering >
KAIST (represented by President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on the 13th of September that Professor Jimin Park from KAIST’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Dr. Inho Kim, a graduate from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (currently a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech), were selected by the MIT Technology Review as the 2024 "35 Innovators Under 35”.
The MIT Technology Review, first published in 1899 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the world’s oldest and most influential magazine on science and technology, offering in-depth analysis across various technology fields, expanding knowledge and providing insights into cutting-edge technology trends.
Since 1999, the magazine has annually named 35 innovators under the age of 35, recognizing young talents making groundbreaking contributions in modern technology fields. The recognition is globally considered a prestigious honor and a dream for young researchers in the science and technology community.
< Image 1. Introduction for Professor Jimin Park at the Meet 35 Innovators Under 35 Summit 2024 >
Professor Jimin Park is developing next-generation bio-interfaces that link artificial materials with living organisms, and is engaged in advanced research in areas such as digital healthcare and carbon-neutral compound manufacturing technologies. In 2014, Professor Park was also recognized as one of the ‘Asia Pacific Innovators Under 35’ by the MIT Technology Review, which highlights young scientists in the Asia-Pacific region.
Professor Park responded, “It’s a great honor to be named as one of the young innovators by the MIT Technology Review, a symbol of innovation with a long history. I will continue to pursue challenging, interdisciplinary research to develop next-generation interfaces that seamlessly connect artificial materials and living organisms, from atomic to system levels.”
< Image 2. Introduction for Dr. Inho Kim as the 2024 Innovator of Materials Science for 35 Innovators Under 35 >
Dr. Inho Kim, who earned his PhD from KAIST in 2020 under the supervision of Professor Sang Ouk Kim from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, recently succeeded in developing a new artificial muscle using composite fibers. This new material is considered the most human-like muscle ever reported in scientific literature, while also being 17 times stronger than natural human muscle.
Dr. Kim is researching the application of artificial muscle fibers in next-generation wearable assistive devices that move more naturally, like humans or animals, noting that the fibers are lightweight, flexible, and exhibit conductivity during contraction, enabling real-time feedback. Recognized for this potential, Dr. Inho Kim was named one of the '35 Innovators Under 35' this year, making him the first researcher to win the honor with the research conducted at KAIST and a PhD earned from Korea.
Dr. Kim stated, “I aim to develop robots using these new materials that can replace today’s expensive and heavy exoskeleton suits by eliminating motors and rigid frames. This will significantly reduce costs and allow for better customization, making cutting-edge technology more accessible to those who need it most, like children with cerebral palsy.”
2024.09.13 View 1643 -
KAIST ISSS Research Session Captivates 150↑ International Scholars, Achieve Major Success
< Photo. Scholars gatheres for NRF Information Session at Chung Keun Mo Hall >
KAIST’s International Office, headed by Vice President Soyoung Kim, successfully organized the ‘NRF Information Session for International Scholars’ on September 11, 2024, in collaboration with the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF).
The event was held at KAIST’s main campus to enourage the international scholar’s active participation in research projects and support their establishment of stable research environment and integration into Korea’s academic community by introducing NRF’s key research programs.
Divided into two main segments – science and engineering, and humanities and social sciences – the session attracted approximately 150 international faculty and researchers from 23 universities across the nation.
The event commenced with a keynote address by Vice President Soyoung Kim, followed by a presentation from Dr. Seol Min of the National Research Foundation, who highlighted basic research initiatives in the science and technology sector. Subsequently, Professor Daniel Martin from the Digital Humanities and Social Sciences Department and Professor Thomas Steinberger from the Department of Business and Technology Management presented practical research project support case studies, sharing invaluable insights gained from their domestic research experiences.
Following the information session, participants engaged in a networking event, where researchers involved in major R&D projects exchanged insights and discussed their ongoing research initiatives.
An international professor remarked, “My understanding of NRF’s research programs for international researchers has broadened considerably. I am now more inclined to actively participate in projects organized by NRF in the future.”
Vice President Kim expressed her aspiration that the event would address the challenges faced by researchers and offer essential support to those engaged in research projects. “We will stay attuned to the needs of the research community and work towards creating a more supportive research environment,” said the VP.
Meanwhile, KAIST hosts a distinguished faculty comprising 134 professors from 22 countries and 71 researchers representing 23 nations, all contributing to groundbreaking academic achievements. Additionally, KAIST is home to over 1,000 international students from more than 100 countries, actively pursuing their studies. This diverse composition of global talent reinforces KAIST's position as a leading international hub for research and education.
2024.09.13 View 1174 -
Unraveling Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Human Cells
Throughout our lifetime, cells accumulate DNA mutations, which contribute to genetic diversity, or “mosaicism”, among cells. These genomic mutations are pivotal for the aging process and the onset of various diseases, including cancer. Mitochondria, essential cellular organelles involved in energy metabolism and apoptosis, possess their own DNA, which are susceptible to mutations. However, studies on mtDNA mutations and mosaicism have been limited due to a variety of technical challenges.
Genomic scientists from KAIST have revealed the genetic mosaicism characterized by variations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) across normal human cells. This study provides fundamental insights into understanding human aging and disease onset mechanisms.
The study, “Mitochondrial DNA mosaicism in normal human somatic cells,” was published in Nature Genetics on July 22. It was led by graduate student Jisong An under the supervision of Professor Young Seok Ju from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering.
Researchers from Seoul National University College of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine National Cancer Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and KAIST faculty startup company Inocras Inc. also participated in this study.
< Figure 1. a. Flow of experiment. b. Schematic diagram illustrating the origin and dynamics of mtDNA alterations across a lifetime. >
The study involved a bioinformatic analysis of whole-genome sequences from 2,096 single cells obtained from normal human colorectal epithelial tissue, fibroblasts, and blood collected from 31 individuals. The study highlights an average of three significant mtDNA differences between cells, with approximately 6% of these variations confirmed to be inherited as heteroplasmy from the mother.
Moreover, mutations significantly increased during tumorigenesis, with some mutations contributing to instability in mitochondrial RNA. Based on these findings, the study illustrates a computational model that comprehensively elucidates the evolution of mitochondria from embryonic development to aging and tumorigenesis.
This study systematically reveals the mechanisms behind mitochondrial DNA mosaicism in normal human cells, establishing a crucial foundation for understanding the impact of mtDNA on aging and disease onset.
Professor Ju remarked, “By systematically utilizing whole-genome big data, we can illuminate previously unknown phenomena in life sciences.” He emphasized the significance of the study, adding, “For the first time, we have established a method to systematically understand mitochondrial DNA changes occurring during human embryonic development, aging, and cancer development.”
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Suh Kyungbae Foundation.
2024.07.24 View 1858 -
KAIST Employs Image-recognition AI to Determine Battery Composition and Conditions
An international collaborative research team has developed an image recognition technology that can accurately determine the elemental composition and the number of charge and discharge cycles of a battery by examining only its surface morphology using AI learning.
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on July 2nd that Professor Seungbum Hong from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in collaboration with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and Drexel University in the United States, has developed a method to predict the major elemental composition and charge-discharge state of NCM cathode materials with 99.6% accuracy using convolutional neural networks (CNN)*.
*Convolutional Neural Network (CNN): A type of multi-layer, feed-forward, artificial neural network used for analyzing visual images.
The research team noted that while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used in semiconductor manufacturing to inspect wafer defects, it is rarely used in battery inspections. SEM is used for batteries to analyze the size of particles only at research sites, and reliability is predicted from the broken particles and the shape of the breakage in the case of deteriorated battery materials.
The research team decided that it would be groundbreaking if an automated SEM can be used in the process of battery production, just like in the semiconductor manufacturing, to inspect the surface of the cathode material to determine whether it was synthesized according to the desired composition and that the lifespan would be reliable, thereby reducing the defect rate.
< Figure 1. Example images of true cases and their grad-CAM overlays from the best trained network. >
The researchers trained a CNN-based AI applicable to autonomous vehicles to learn the surface images of battery materials, enabling it to predict the major elemental composition and charge-discharge cycle states of the cathode materials. They found that while the method could accurately predict the composition of materials with additives, it had lower accuracy for predicting charge-discharge states. The team plans to further train the AI with various battery material morphologies produced through different processes and ultimately use it for inspecting the compositional uniformity and predicting the lifespan of next-generation batteries.
Professor Joshua C. Agar, one of the collaborating researchers of the project from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics of Drexel University, said, "In the future, artificial intelligence is expected to be applied not only to battery materials but also to various dynamic processes in functional materials synthesis, clean energy generation in fusion, and understanding foundations of particles and the universe."
Professor Seungbum Hong from KAIST, who led the research, stated, "This research is significant as it is the first in the world to develop an AI-based methodology that can quickly and accurately predict the major elemental composition and the state of the battery from the structural data of micron-scale SEM images. The methodology developed in this study for identifying the composition and state of battery materials based on microscopic images is expected to play a crucial role in improving the performance and quality of battery materials in the future."
< Figure 2. Accuracies of CNN Model predictions on SEM images of NCM cathode materials with additives under various conditions. >
This research was conducted by KAIST’s Materials Science and Engineering Department graduates Dr. Jimin Oh and Dr. Jiwon Yeom, the co-first authors, in collaboration with Professor Josh Agar and Dr. Kwang Man Kim from ETRI. It was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, the KAIST Global Singularity project, and international collaboration with the US research team. The results were published in the international journal npj Computational Materials on May 4. (Paper Title: “Composition and state prediction of lithium-ion cathode via convolutional neural network trained on scanning electron microscopy images”)
2024.07.02 View 2532 -
KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee receives honorary doctorate from Université de Montréal
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on June 16th that President Kwang-Hyung Lee received an honorary doctorate on the 15th, local time, from the Université de Montréal in Canada, one of the largest French-speaking universities in North America.
< Image. (from left) Mr. Pierre Lassonde, Chairman of the Board of Polytechnique Montréal, President Maud Cohen of Polytechnique Montréal, President Kwang-Hyung Lee of KAIST, Chancellor Frantz Saintellemy of Université de Montréal and Mr. Alexandre Chabot, Secretary General of Université de Montéal. >
President Lee was selected as the recipient of the honorary doctorate from the Université de Montréal upon the recommendation of Polytechnique Montréal in recognition of his contributions in pioneering the multidisciplinary approach to integrate a number of fields studies including computer science, biology, and nanotechnology.
Polytechnique Montréal is a university in affiliation with the University of Montréal and is one of the largest engineering education and research institutions of Canada. President Lee's honorary doctorate was awarded at the Convocation Ceremony of Polytechnique Montréal held for the Class of 2024. On this day, Mr. Serge Gendron, a businessman, a philanthropist and an alum of Polytechnique Montréal, also had the honor of receiving an honorary doctorate along with President Lee.
President Kwang-Hyung Lee is internationally recognized for his contributions in various fields, including engineering education, multidisciplinary research, strategy establishment, and future prospects. President Lee is also well known to have had significant influence on the first-generation venture entrepreneurs, a large portion of which are from KAIST, who have now grown into full-fledged entrepreneurs. For these activities, President Lee received numerous decorations and commendations within Korea, including the National Order of Civil Merit - Camellia Medal, and in 2003, he received the ‘Légion d’Honneur Chevalier’ from the French government as well.
Through his speech at the ceremony, KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee expressed his gratitude to the Université de Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal, while congratulating and encouraging the graduates who are poised to start anew as they part from the school. “Hold on to your dreams, try looking at the world from a different perspective, and enjoy the challenges without being afraid of failures.” With these three pieces of advice, President Lee cheered on the graduates saying, “The future belongs to those of you who challenge them.”
Maud Cohen, the President of Polytechnique Montréal, commented on President Kwang-Hyung Lee's honorary doctorate, that Polytechnique Montréal is proud to award an honorary doctorate to Mr. Lee for his exceptional career path, his holistic, multidisciplinary and undeniably forward-looking vision, which strongly echoes the values of Polytechnique Montréal, and for his involvement in and commitment to education, research and the future of the next generation.
* Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research universities, and is located on the Université de Montréal campus – North America’s largest Francophone university campus. Joshua Bengio, who won the Turing Award for establishing the foundations of deep learning, is gaining international recognition in artificial intelligence and other related fields at Polytechnique Montréal. Polytechnique Montréal chose KAIST as the first Korean university establish partnership with and has continued to build up close cooperative relationship since 1998.
* The Université de Montréal (UdeM) is a public university founded in 1878. It is located in Montréal, in the French-speaking province of Québec, Canada. It is one of Canada's five major universities, and the second largest in terms of student enrollment. The Université de Montréal is the largest in the French-speaking world in terms of both student enrollment and research. The Université de Montréal enjoys an excellent reputation as one of the best French-language post-secondary institutions. Its rector is Mr. Daniel Jutras.
2024.06.16 View 2973 -
KAIST appoints K-Pop Star “G-Dragon” Kwon Ji-yong as a visiting professor
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on June 5th that its Department of Mechanical Engineering has appointed Kwon Ji-yong, a K-Pop star better known as G-Dragon, as a visiting professor. The appointment was officiated at the “Innovate Korea 2024” event held at the KAIST Sports Complex in the morning of the 5th.
This appointment was promoted to expand the global competitiveness of Korean culture by applying the latest scientific technology developed from KAIST to K-content and the cultural industry.
An official from Galaxy Corporation, Mr. Kwon’s agency, said, “Through this appointment, we expect to contribute to market innovation and to the global spread and growth of K-culture through research and development of ‘entertech’*.”
* Entertech: A compound word of ‘entertainment’ and ‘technology’ refering to an industry that creates new added value by combining ICT with intellectual property rights (IP) and contents, which are the core values of entertainment.
The newly appointed Visiting Professor Kwon Ji-yong is scheduled to give a special lecture on leadership to undergraduate and graduate students. The purpose is to share his experience and life as a world-class artist to provide KAIST students with vision and insight into the world, as well as the courage and inspiration to pioneer within their own fields of expertise.
In addition, cultural events are planned to be held to help facilitate communication with KAIST members and provide artistic experiences necessary to grow into creative and convergent talents.
Joint research that applies KAIST's various technologies to art and cultural contents will also be pursued. ‘(temporarily named) KAIST-Galaxy Corporation Entertech Research Center’ will be established within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, conducting ▴research on Digital Twin technology for Korean Wave artists, starting with G-Dragon himself ▴convergent research on science and technology encompassing artificial intelligence, robots, and metaverse and K-Culture and ▴research on the development of differentiated avatars of artists using the latest technologies such as volumetrics, motion capture, and haptics.
Galaxy Corporation produces highly talked about televised shows including 'Physical: 100 Season 2', which achieved the feat of ranking first in the Netflix’s ‘Global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows’ category, as well as 'Street Woman Fighter', '2 Days & 1 Night', 'Let's Play Soccer: Mungchyeoya Chanda' and 'Mr. Trot 2', and expanded its IP (intellectual property rights) to all aspects of entertainment, from broadcasting to the music industry by recruiting G-Dragon in December last year.
It is an 'entertech' company that is pioneering a new content market by combining IP with the latest digital technologies such as metaverse, avatar, and artificial intelligence (AI). Based on these achievements, it recently signed a partnership with a global investment bank (IB). Through global investment, the company is soon to be the first entertech startup to become a unicorn (corporate value of 1 trillion won).
Kwon Ji-yong said, “It is an honor to be a visiting professor at KAIST, where countless scientific geniuses come out of. I am hoping the best of science and technology experts and my expertise in the entertainment business will come together and a great synergy, a ‘big bang’ will be ensue as a result.
“More and more musicians are working with artificial intelligence and these cutting-edge technologies enable more diverse forms of creative work,” he continued. He also expressed his specific wish. “Through the AI avatar developed jointly by Galaxy Corporation and KAIST, I wish to communicate more closely with my fans around the world that I cannot meet so often otherwise.”
President Kwang-Hyung Lee said, “Considering that KAIST is a university that has always explored new things and pioneered unknown territories since its establishment, I believe that Kwon Ji-yong also shares KAIST's DNA in that he is a leader and pioneer who has attained world-class achievements in the world of culture and arts.”
President Lee continued expressing his expectations saying, “Kwon Ji-yong will not only contribute to taking KAIST’s science and technology to spread and grow K-culture on the global stage, through his activities but also in sharing his experience and spirit as the trend leader of the world, he will be an asset to the members of KAIST which aims to become a top-tier university.”
The period of Kwon Ji-yong’s professorship is two years from the 4th of this month to June of 2026. In addition, Professor Kwon Ji-yong has been appointed as KAIST’s global ambassador to help strengthen KAIST's international presence.
Professor Kwon Ji-yong, who began his career as G-Dragon, has established himself as an icon symbolizing Korean pop culture over 18 years as a member and the leader of the K-Pop idol group 'Big Bang', which debuted in 2006 and gained global popularity. While being recognized for his outstanding ability in all aspects of his music, from writing lyrics, composing, and producing to performing, he has also been active in fashion, becoming the first Asian man to be selected as a global ambassador for Chanel in 2016, spreading Korean music and fashion to the world.
In June, 2017, he released his 3rd solo album 'Kwon Ji Yong' on USB instead of the existing CD format, for the first time in Korea. He also attended CES, the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA in January of this year, extending his strides as a 'tech-tainer'.
2024.06.05 View 8584 -
KAIST and Merck Sign MOU to Boost Biotech Innovation
< (From left) KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee and Merck CEO Matthias Heinzel >
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Merck Life Science (CEO Matthias Heinzel) on May 29 to foster innovation and technology creation in advanced biotechnology.
Since May of last year, the two institutions have been discussing multidimensional innovation programs and will now focus on industry-academia cooperation to tackle bioindustry challenges with this MOU as a foundation.
KAIST will conduct joint research projects in various advanced biotechnology fields, such as synthetic biology, mRNA, cell line engineering, and organoids, using the chemical and biological portfolios provided by Merck.
Additionally, KAIST will establish an Experience Lab in collaboration with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering. This lab will support the discovery and analysis of candidate substances in materials science and biology.
Programs to enhance researchers' capabilities will also be offered. Scholarships for graduate students and awards for professors will be implemented. Researchers will have opportunities to participate in global academic events and educational programs hosted by Merck, such as the Curious 2024 Future Insight Conference and the Innovation Cup.
M Ventures, a venture capital subsidiary of Merck Group, will collaborate with KAIST's startup institute to support technology commercialization and continue to develop their startup ecosystem.
The signing ceremony at KAIST's main campus in Daejeon was attended by the CEO of Merck Life Science and the President of KAIST along with representatives from both institutions.
Matthias Heinzel, a member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Life Science, said, “This agreement with KAIST is a significant step toward accelerating the development of the life science industry both in Korea and globally. Advancing life science research and fostering the next generation of scientists is essential for discovering new medicines to meet global health needs.”
President Kwang-Hyung Lee responded, “We are pleased to share a vision for scientific advancement with Merck, a leading global technology company. We anticipate that this partnership will strengthen the connection between Merck’s life science business and the global scientific community.”
In March, Merck, a global science and technology company with over 350 years of history, announced a plan to invest 430 billion KRW (€300 million) to build a bioprocessing center in Daejeon, where KAIST is located. This is Merck's largest investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
2024.05.30 View 2826