[WIS 2024] WIS Innovation Award honors for wearable robots, AI personal assistants, etc.

WIS 2024 Innovation Award ‘Minister of Science and ICT Award’

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the joint organizer of the 2024 World IT Show (WIS 2024) selected innovative products and technologies that attracted attention at this year's exhibition and awarded the 'WIS Innovation Award'. Six films that boasted achievements in the information and communication technology (ICT) and AI fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) humans, wearable robots, innovative materials, and metaverse technology, were honored with awards.

◇FRT Robotics ‘Step Up’

FRT Robotics' wearable robot 'Step Up' 4th generation product won the WIS 2024 Innovation Award 'Minister of Science and ICT Award'.

Step Up is a wearable robot that can prevent musculoskeletal disorders by assisting muscle strength when carrying heavy loads. A series elastic actuator (SEA) is attached to the waist to support and assist human muscle strength. Based on about 15kg of back muscle support, muscle fatigue can be reduced by about 40%. It is manufactured in the form of an exoskeleton that operates through mutual cooperation between humans and robots, allowing natural movement even when worn. Prediction technology that uses a reinforcement learning algorithm to identify user intent and status was also applied.

Step Up is equipped with a monitoring function that can manage the working environment and worker status in real time using 5th generation (5G) mobile communication. The safety sensor mounted on the robot recognizes oxygen saturation and flammable gases in the workplace, enabling rapid response to safety accidents. This not only prevents worker injuries but also increases working life. This product was designated as an innovative product by the Public Procurement Service last year and is scheduled for pilot sale to the Korea Forest Service and the National Fire Agency.