Author: INHI KIM (page 1 of 22)
KAIST to Spearhead Physical AI Talent Development in Partnership with Lotte Innovate
We are pleased to announce that a research team from our department, led by Professors Inhi Kim, Ingwun Jang, Kitae Jang, and Kyunghwan Choi, has been selected for the “2026 Generative AI Leading Talent Cultivation Program.” This prestigious initiative is hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP).
The program aims to establish an industry-academic cooperative framework designed to solve real-world industrial challenges. A primary focus is cultivating master’s- and doctoral-level experts in Physical AI, particularly in humanoid robotics, to secure a competitive edge in future industries. The project will span four years, from April 2026 to December 2029, with a total funding of 7.25 billion KRW.
The consortium is led by Lotte Innovate and includes KAIST, Yonsei University, and Inha University. While Lotte Innovate provides Generative AI foundation model APIs and specialized research data, each university will spearhead specific technical domains.
KAIST will be responsible for:
- Developing Vision-Language-Navigation (VLN)-based data interfaces.
- Establishing advanced simulation environments for Physical AI verification.
Through this project, students will have the unique opportunity to engage in joint research and dispatch programs, gaining hands-on experience with industry-grade data and infrastructure. By integrating education, research, and field-testing, our department continues to lead the way in fostering global innovators who will define the future of AI-driven mobility and robotics.
We look forward to the groundbreaking contributions of our faculty and researchers over the next four years.
[Project Summary]
- Project Name: 2026 Generative AI Leading Talent Cultivation Program
- Lead Organization: Lotte Innovate
- Participating Universities: KAIST, Yonsei University, Inha University
- KAIST Faculty: Prof. Inhi Kim, Prof. Ingwun Jang, Prof. Kitae Jang, Prof. Kyunghwan Choi
- Duration: April 2026 – December 2029
- Total Budget: 7.25 Billion KRW
Exciting News from the IMPACTS Lab! 🚗💨
Dr. Li joins us from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, where he served as a Research Fellow. He earned his Ph.D. from Southeast University under the supervision of Prof. Zhibin Li and has previously spent time as a visiting scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Meng is a rising star in the field—quite literally, having been recognized as a “Rising Star in Transportation Under 35” in 2025. His impressive track record includes publications in top-tier journals like TR-Part B/C and IEEE T-ITS, as well as serving as a Youth Committee Member of the World Transport Convention (WTC).
At the IMPACTS group, Dr. Li will be focusing on:
- Modeling and control of intelligent transportation systems.
- Behavioral adaptation and safety risks in mixed traffic.
- Human-in-the-loop safety evaluation.
His expertise in behavioral adaptation for automated and human-driven vehicles perfectly complements our mission to develop human-centered and data-driven mobility systems. We are eager to see the innovative contributions he will bring to our ongoing research in Physical AI and mixed-autonomy traffic environments.
Please join me in giving Dr. Meng Li a very warm welcome to the KAIST community! 🌟
Welcoming Dr. Fan Wu to the Graduate School of Mobility at KAIST!
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Dr. Fan Wu from University of Alberta has officially joined our transport group as a postdoctoral fellow.
Dr. Wu brings a wealth of expertise in intelligent transportation systems, advanced traffic modeling, and traffic control to our team. Her impressive research track record and analytical approach are a perfect fit for our mission here at the KAIST Graduate School of Mobility.
We are excited to see the impact her work will have on our ongoing projects as we continue to push the boundaries of mobility technology and systems. Her arrival marks an important step forward for our group, and we are eager to begin our collaboration on developing next-generation, sustainable mobility solutions.
Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Dr. Wu! We look forward to a productive and innovative journey together.
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I was absolutely thrilled to hear the wonderful news that Yoonha from TCIS won the Grand Prize (Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award) at the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Service Idea Model Discovery Competition!
Her project, “Ambulance Transport Automation AI Agent System using MCP and A2A.” is truly impressive to see how she utilized advanced technologies like MCP and Agent-to-Agent protocols to tackle the critical social issue of emergency room delays (the “ER spinning” problem). Her approach to automating coordination among traffic, hospitals, and insurance agents to secure the “Golden Hour” is not only innovative but also deeply meaningful to our society.
It is very rewarding to see the hard work and research capabilities she demonstrated during her summer internship lead to such prestigious recognition. This award is a testament to your creativity, technical skills, and passion for mobility and transportation engineering.
I am proud to have had Yoonha as an intern in our lab. I look forward to seeing her continued growth and success in the future.
We are delighted to share the wonderful news that our lab member, Junyuk Lee (이준욱), has been awarded the prestigious Master’s Excellence Scholarship (STEM)!
This competitive national scholarship, aimed at fostering highly talented individuals in the Science and Engineering fields, is a direct recognition of Jun-wook’s outstanding academic achievements and dedication.
The scholarship provides substantial financial support: up to 4 semesters, with 2.5 million KRW per semester and 5 million KRW annually. This invaluable support will certainly help Jun-wook focus on his advanced research and academic goals.
Heartfelt congratulations, Junyuk! We are immensely proud of your accomplishment and excited to support your continued success
Kaihan, Successful Participation in AOTULE Conference 2025!
We extend our sincere congratulations to Kaihan, a proud member of our lab, for his successful selection and attendance at the AOTULE Conference 2025 student program held at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China!
We trust that during the busy five-day journey (October 12th to 16th, 2025), Kaihan had a valuable time exchanging with diverse international students under the main theme of ‘Interdisciplinary Education & Practice for Sustainability.’
Everyone in the lab is proud of Kaihan for shining on the international stage, representing our research group, and especially for gaining invaluable experience and knowledge in crucial areas like Clean Energy Innovation, Sustainable Materials Design, and Smart Cities.
Once again, we welcome you back after your long and successful journey and look forward to hearing your vivid after-action report from the Beijing Conference soon!
Thank you for your hard work, and welcome back!
