Changwon National University has launched joint research on "robotic autonomous manufacturing" in partnership with Hyundai Wia, a leader in precision machinery and robotics automation.
The university said Wednesday it has formed a "robotics sub-group council" with Hyundai Wia, operating under a three-team structure to develop core technologies including parking robots, digital twins, and vision systems. The council was established after Changwon National University was selected for the "2026 Advanced Industry Specialized University Support Program (Robotics Field)," with the aim of securing future growth engines for the regional robotics industry.
The council aims to promote technology exchange and joint research in robotic autonomous manufacturing based on cooperation with Hyundai Wia, while training specialized personnel required by industry to generate tangible industry-academia cooperation results.
The council operates under three sub-groups in total. Team 1, led by Lee Jae-sun, professor of mobility mechanical engineering and director of the Institute of Advanced Technology, will conduct joint research on structural-analysis-based parking robots, with participation from Yoon Tae-young, professor of mobility mechanical engineering, Kim Jae-min, professor of mechanical engineering, and Hyundai Wia's robot design team.
Team 2, led by Choi Jin-chul, professor of intelligent robotics convergence engineering and head of the M.AXbot business group, will pursue joint research on advancing logistics simulation based on IsaacSim and on robot digital twins, with participation from Kim Byeong-uk, professor of information and communication engineering, Park Min-gyu, professor of mechanical engineering, Lee Seok-ju, professor of aerospace engineering, and Hyundai Wia's robot business promotion team.
Team 3, led by Yoo Sun-jin, professor of artificial intelligence engineering and director of the AI Research Office, will conduct joint research on vision system development, with participation from Kim Jung-rak, professor of artificial intelligence engineering, and Hyundai Wia's robot software development team, control system development team, and new process development team.
Going beyond simple technology exchange, the council focuses on identifying joint research projects that reflect industry demand, and on generating tangible results by linking the university's research capabilities with the company's practical experience. Through continued technology cooperation and specialized personnel training, it is expected to strengthen competitiveness in robotic autonomous manufacturing and contribute to regional industrial development.
"Through cooperation with Hyundai Wia, a leader in Korea's precision machinery and robotics automation field, we have established a foundation to closely link the university's research capabilities with industry sites," said Park Jong-gyu, head of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation and vice president for research and industry-academic cooperation at Changwon National University. "By continuously expanding joint research and technology exchange, we will secure core technologies in robotic autonomous manufacturing and train the specialized talent required by industry, contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of regional industry."
