​The demand for robots capable of working in close proximity to humans and engaging in physical interaction has been steadily increasing. Currently, robots are employed in various settings such as airports, restaurants, and amusement parks to guide, assist, and entertain people. However, despite technological advancements, there remains a scarcity of robotic applications that fully meet public expectations. Enhancing the usefulness of robots in our daily life necessitates a deeper understanding of human environments and tasks, improved methods for task solution by robots, and the development of designs that enable robots to interact with humans in a natural and safe manner. In this talk, I will discuss my experiences and efforts in designing robots that are user-friendly through considerations of robot design, motion control, and human-robot interaction. Furthermore, I will introduce KIMLAB’s recent endeavors in designing and implementing PAPRAS (Plug And Play Robotic Arm System) for general-purpose applications.​

​Joohyung Kim is currently an Associate Professor of ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and MechSE (Mechanical Science & Engineering), and the director of KIMLAB (Kinetic Intelligent Machine LAB) at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on design and control for humanoid robots, system for motion learning in robot hardware, and safe human-robot interaction. He received BSE and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from Seoul National University, Korea, in 2001 and 2012. He was with Disney Research as a Research Scientist from 2013 to 2019. Prior to joining Disney, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University for DARPA Robotics Challenge in 2013. From 2009 to 2012, he was a Research Staff Member in Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and Samsung Electronics, Korea, developing biped walking controllers for humanoid robots. KIMLAB YouTube​