KIST Joins European Robotics Project Worth Over 10 Million Euros, to Develop Robot Hands and Eyes

15 Organizations Across Nine Countries Join Project... Developing Soft Grippers and Vision AI with Direct EU Funding

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) is participating in a major European international joint research project on advanced robotics, with more than 10 million euros (approximately 17 billion won) in funding. KIST will develop key technologies that serve as a robot's "hand" for gently grasping a variety of objects and its "eyes" for perceiving the surrounding environment. This is an example of South Korea's participation as an associated country in the European Union's (EU) research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, leading to joint development of advanced technologies.

KIST said Tuesday that a research team led by Song Gahye, principal researcher at the Intelligent Interaction Research Center, and senior researcher Ryu Kanghyeon will participate in Horizon Europe's international joint research project on advanced robotics.

Song Gahye, principal researcher at the Intelligent Interaction Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), who is participating in the European Union (EU)'s Horizon Europe international joint research project on advanced robotics, is pictured on the left with senior researcher Ryu Ganghyeon. Song leads the project and is spearheading the development of core technologies for soft grippers and vision AI. Provided by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology.

The project is led by Tampere University in Finland and involves 15 universities, research institutes and companies across nine countries, including South Korea, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Denmark, Germany and Portugal. KIST is the consortium's only non-European institution. It will receive research funding directly from the EU and conduct research for three and a half years starting in September 2026.

The project centers on combining "soft grippers," which grasp objects using flexible materials, with "vision artificial intelligence (AI)," which uses camera images to perceive the surrounding environment. Conventional rigid robot hands have limitations when handling objects that vary in shape or size. The research team plans to develop technologies that enable robots to identify an object's shape and condition on their own, then adjust how they grasp it and how much force they apply.

KIST will integrate soft grippers and vision AI into a single system. The technology will enable robots to recognize their work targets and surrounding environment and select appropriate actions. The team will validate the system in real-world working environments and plans to expand its applications to areas where conventional robots are difficult to use, such as underwater and high-voltage environments.

Direct EU Research Funding Raises Hopes for Expanded International Collaboration

The project is significant because a Korean research institute will be responsible for developing key technologies in a major European research and development consortium. South Korea is participating in Horizon Europe as an associated country, and through this project, KIST has secured an opportunity to jointly develop and demonstrate technologies with European research institutes and companies.

The technologies are expected to be used in a range of fields, including smart farming, manufacturing and care robots. Potential applications include harvesting crops that vary in size and shape and handling objects that are easily damaged.

KIST plans to use this joint research project as an opportunity to expand cooperation with European research institutes and companies and pursue further international joint research. However, the technologies' practical applicability in industry and their performance will need to be verified through field demonstrations in the future.

"The technical exchanges and trust we have steadily built with European research institutes and companies have led to our participation in this major international joint research project," said Song Gahye, a principal researcher at KIST. "We will validate soft gripper and vision AI technologies in real-world environments alongside European researchers and build a foundation for sustained global research collaboration that will lead to follow-up joint projects."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.