The “Research Center for Robotic Functional Skins and Hypersensory Technology,” led by Professor Lim Si-Hyung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul), successfully hosted a briefing session for participating companies on the 17th at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square.

This research center is part of the Global Leading Research Center (ERC) project supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Ministry of Science and ICT, and is a large-scale collaborative research project with a total investment of 14 billion won over seven years. With Kookmin University serving as the lead institution, a total of 10 professors from five universities—including Seoul National University, UNIST, Gachon University, and Kumoh National Institute of Technology —are participating. The research team is conducting studies aimed at developing a “functional skin and hypersensory perception system” that enables robots to perceive various stimuli like humans and perform tasks stably even in extreme conditions—such as space, marine environments, and disaster sites—where they are exposed to high or low temperatures, high humidity, and corrosive environments.

Existing robot systems have been criticized for relying excessively on visual sensors or being designed primarily for simple functions, resulting in clear limitations in environmental adaptability and operational stability in real-world settings. To overcome these challenges, this ERC Research Center is conducting convergence research focused on three key areas: ▲ development of a non-visual perception platform integrating tactile, auditory, and olfactory sensors; ▲ development of composite functional skin surface materials with durability in extreme environments; ▲Development of ultra-precision surface manufacturing processes and equipment.

This briefing was organized to share the research achievements from the first year since the ERC Center’s launch with participating companies and to listen to firsthand feedback from the industrial sector. The meeting, which invited participating companies, was attended by representatives from a total of 16 companies, including SOSLab, Nexensor, DAESHIN TECHGEN, LASERNICS, TESTONE, Coz Solution, WillScreen & Plant, Hanshin Engineering, Light Solution, Encore Technology, WITHTECH, Enbiosel, Sensortech, LaserGraphene, AYIN technology, and Rina Solution.

The meeting was designed to go beyond a simple presentation of research results, serving as a forum for in-depth discussion of the technical challenges and practical needs that companies face in the field. Attendees agreed to establish a close cooperative framework by jointly exploring the center’s future research directions and identifying ongoing joint research projects that extend beyond the scope of existing ERC projects.

Center Director Lim Si-hyung stated, “Close interaction with the industry is essential to perfecting next-generation robot technology capable of performing precise tasks even in extreme environments.” He added, “We will continue to regularly host meetings with participating companies and industry-academia technology exchange seminars to actively incorporate corporate needs into our research, and we are committed to developing effective core technologies and establishing a successful industry-academia cooperation model.”