2024-01-13 12:21:24
Jihee Kim is a student at Hongik University’s Department of Industrial Design, and became famous for ‘Leica’, which was exhibited at the graduation exhibition in October.
Kim Ji-hee, who became famous by being selected as one of the ‘Best 10 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Designs of 2023’ by the global site Design Boom, is surprisingly only 24 years old and a fourth-year college student.
The AI companion robot ‘Laika’ was ranked 3rd among the ‘Top 10 AI works created by readers’. This work later spread through blogs and SNS, gaining global popularity. It also received the spotlight from overseas media several times.
What’s more surprising is that Laika is not a typical robot toy or a concept design that can only be found in science fiction. It was designed as a companion robot that protects the physical and emotional health of astronauts participating in NASA’s lunar exploration project ‘Artemis’. It is made of light and durable titanium and has an appearance similar to a real dog. It can not only check the astronaut’s heart rate and abnormal signs through AI, but also has the function of interacting with an MR (mixed reality) device. It is an ‘AI agent’ in the form of a dog.
It is a project that involves many technical issues for a student majoring in industrial design at Hongik University. Additionally, current quadrupedal robots focus on functional aspects such as avoiding obstacles or climbing slopes, and there are no elements that can be called design yet. There are few examples to refer to.
Leica is for my graduation work, a project I have been working on for 8 months since the beginning of last year. “At first, I started with the idea of a healthcare robot for astronauts. I thought that in order for isolated astronauts to stay healthy, they needed not only a functional element to take care of their bodies, but also a function that might provide emotional comfort.”
Jihee Kim clearly explained the reason for creating the AI dog robot. She said, “The current robot market is divided into companion robots that are friendly and industrial robots that emphasize functionality. At that boundary, we decided on the direction of ‘friendly yet functional robots.'”
The robot market he identified had pros and cons. Humanoids that resemble humans were not efficient, and quadrupedal robots were not universal in shape. In other words, it was divided into those that focused on functionality and had no elements that might be called design, or those that only emphasized friendliness and lacked practicality, such as the pet dog robot ‘Aibo’.
We decided to design a ‘friendly’ dog robot as an AI companion while incorporating the advantages of both.
“More than anything, I always kept in mind that a dog should be able to be held,” he said, adding that he also thought a lot regarding interaction with users. “I thought that in order for technology to persuade consumers, it must approach the user experience. I believe that even robots must be able to interact with users by providing sensory stimulation such as sound, touch, and smell to persuade consumers to purchase.”
It was not an easy task. “In the process of studying the movements of dogs by watching actual videos, implementing them with robots, and confirming them through videos, there were some areas where we ran into engineering and technical limitations,” he said. “We completed the design with a realistic design that might persuade consumers, not simply a science fiction design.” “I wanted to,” he emphasized.
One of the examples is the ‘leg’ part. Most quadrupedal robots, including Boston Dynamics’ Spot and Unitree, have both front and hind legs bent backwards due to balance issues. This is different from a real dog. Also, unless it is for a special function, the head or tail is omitted. This is because it interferes with realistic movement.
“I found out that bending the front legs as if they were real would cause problems with walking,” he said. “But I think this problem needs to be resolved technologically in order to eliminate the unique awkwardness of robots.”
Jihee Kim interacting with Leica’s 3D model (Photo = Design Boom)
The production of the Leica prototype was assisted by Model Solution (CEO Byeong-il Woo), a startup specializing in 3D model production.
In addition to functionality, the focus was on interaction, such as allowing users to talk or hug. To figure this out, we first created samples using boxes and 3D printers and tested their size and weight. In this process, we repeated experiments to balance engineering, space efficiency, and design elements such as materials, sensors, and parts. The technical terminology mentioned during the interview was not amateur level.
He said that while producing Laika, he also looked into the possibility of expansion of related markets due to the development of AI technology and the robot industry. “I believe that as the robot industry becomes more common, various additional industries will also be able to develop. For example, like purchasing iPhone accessories, consumer tastes will be able to be reflected through clothes or devices for Leica. The role of design is more important. It’s ending.”
Mr. Kim, who is scheduled to graduate in July, is currently participating in an AI project with Samsung. He said that following graduation, he plans to pursue a career as an AI technology and robotics product designer.
“Thanks to Leica, I learned a lot regarding robotics and AI technology,” he said. “If I get the chance, I want to design a robot with a clear purpose for use in special situations such as weather observation or ocean exploration.”
Recently, the robot industry is developing at a rapid pace with the introduction of large language models (LLM). Additionally, technologies such as ‘ChatGPT’ aim to become AI assistants that communicate with humans. It is highly likely that the ultimate version of ‘AI hardware’ that was poured out at this CES will be a robot.
Therefore, it is clear that the demand for professional designers with robotics knowledge and at the same time focusing on ‘human interaction’ will increase. It is highly likely that Mr. Kim will be counted as one of them.
He also looked hopeful, saying, “I still have a lot of love for Leica,” and “Maybe one day, I might be able to launch Leica as an actual product.”
Reporter Park Soo-bin [email protected]
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