The “Research Center for Robotic Functional Skin and Hypersensory Technology,” led by Professor Lim Si-Hyung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul), won a total of three Encouragement Awards at the “11th KSME-SEMES Open Innovation Challenge,” jointly hosted by the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers (KSME) and SEMES.
 
The center is a Global Leading Research Center (ERC) supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. With a total research grant of 14 billion won over seven years starting in 2025, it is developing next-generation core robot technologies capable of stable operation even in extreme environments. Eleven professors from five universities, including Kookmin University, are participating in the project, conducting research that integrates sensors, functional materials, and ultra-precision manufacturing technologies to enhance robots’ environmental adaptability and operational stability.
 
At this competition, the Center’s research team received one Encouragement Award from the Expert Group and two from the Young Engineers Group for their research ideas on applying robot control and contaminant collection and analysis technologies to semiconductor equipment. Professor Ha Chang-wan’s research team won the Encouragement Award in the Expert Group for proposing high-precision, low-vibration control technology for AI-based wafer transfer robots. This technology uses AI to automatically optimize the robot’s control settings, minimizing vibrations generated during high-speed transfer and thereby enhancing the equipment’s productivity and reliability.
 
Ph.D. candidate Lee Jun-seok’s research team received the Young Engineers’ Group Encouragement Award for a replaceable MOF filter cartridge that selectively captures corrosive contaminants in semiconductor etching processes. The key feature is capturing contaminants—such as hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride—close to their source to reduce equipment corrosion and wafer contamination.
 
Ph.D. candidate Choi Yun-taek’s research team received the same group’s Encouragement Award for their micro-preconcentrator technology, which captures, concentrates, and analyzes trace amounts of organic contaminants. Preliminary experiments confirmed the ability to detect organic contaminants at levels of 0.5 to 1 ppb, and the team plans to utilize this technology in the future for process-specific contamination monitoring and anomaly prediction. Center Director Lim Si-hyung stated, “This award demonstrates that the control, materials, and sensor technologies accumulated through research on robots for extreme environments can also be applied to improve the precision and cleanliness of semiconductor equipment,” adding, “We will continue to expand joint research among industry, academia, and research institutes, as well as field verification, to broaden the industrial applications of our research outcomes.”
 
Meanwhile, Kookmin University, celebrating its 80th anniversary, is preparing for a new leap toward the next 100 years under the vision of “A University Setting the Standard for Higher Education” and the slogan “Make the Rule, Break the Rule.” To this end, the university has established “KMU VISION 2035: EDGE,” a mid- to long-term development strategy, and selected eight specialized fields to intensively strengthen the university’s competitiveness. The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kookmin University’s College of Engineering plans to cultivate talent equipped with practical skills and convergent thinking to lead the future robotics industry, focusing on “robotics,” one of the eight specialized fields.