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KIST Hosts the Bionic Arm Center Technology Fair (2017.05.17)
- Date : 2017-09-05
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International Cooperation Team
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KIST Hosts the Bionic Arm Center Technology Fair
- Introduced R&D outcomes on neural-based bionic arm technology
- Served as a platform for transferring and commercializing original technology
On May 16, at its headquarters in Seoul, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) held a Bionic Arm Center Technology Fair for introducing members of the business community to neural signal-based control functions derived from R&D outcomes. It is hoped that the fair will encourage this technology to be transferred to researchers and enterprises.
Dr. Oh Sang Rok, director-general of KIST’s Gangneung branch, has been overseeing the Fully-functional Bionic Arm project, which is part of the Bionic Arm Mechatronics Convergence R&D Project launched by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. The project began in 2014 and will last until 2020. The Technology Fair promoted commercialization by introducing businesses to technologies currently under development and promoting R&D with interested enterprises.
The R&D is being conducted as a convergence study that promotes strategic collaboration on integrated systems, and some of Korea’s best R&D teams have been collaborating on exciting bionic arm technology: one team from KIST has been researching neural signal recording and analysis, while another KIST team researches implantable interfaces; a team from Sungkyunkwan University has been researching artificial skin and muscles; and a team from Hanyang University has been researching artificial bones and joints. Each team will also work to commercialize the original technologies they develop.
The fair introduced around 10 original technologies, including an ultra-precision tissue manipulation and bio-signal measurement & analysis platform; a patient-customized neural/muscular tissue-based signal measurement & analysis test platform; fiber-based, high-performance artificial muscles; skin-/digital-type tactile sensors; bio-inspired robotic arm and hand design; next generation, biocompatible two-way neural-probes; and an implantable two-way wireless neural signal processing system. Leaders in the robotic prosthesis field, as well as representatives from various enterprises, attended the event and showed great interest in the technologies introduced.
In addition, the Bionic Arm Center aims to use the fair as a springboard for building an open global innovation center that promotes a virtuous cycle between R&D organizations and consumers―one that ultimately generates new markets based on the securing of original fundamental technologies. The fair’s primary goal was to facilitate one-on-one mentoring with inventors by supporting the disclosure and utilization of intellectual property rights for technologies currently under development by R&D institutes.
Through one-on-one consultation booths set up by each R&D team, attendees could examine the status of technologies currently under development in diverse fields and discuss their commercialization potential.