Students from Professor Youngsu Cha’s research lab at the Korea University School of Electrical Engineering—Sohyun Kim, Seunghoon Yoo, and Hyunjun Park—were awarded the Grand Prize at the LG Electronics iPBL Idea Competition held on February 4. The event was co-hosted by Korea University’s Industry-Academic Cooperation Center and LG Electronics.


The LG Electronics iPBL Idea Competition is a joint initiative between Korea University and LG Electronics, aiming to discover innovative ideas to address nine R&D challenges.


This year, the Grand Prize was awarded to the Korea University team for their project, "A System for Recognizing Floor Material and Surface Roughness in Vacuum Cleaners Using Nozzle Current and AI." The project was part of the “Digital Transformation of Vacuum Cleaners Utilizing AI” category.


Their proposed system utilizes deep learning to analyze current data from sensors embedded in the vacuum cleaner head, enabling it to identify the type of flooring in contact. The system can be integrated into LG Smart Home, offering consumers personalized vacuum cleaner modes based on the detected surface material.


Upon receiving the award, the team expressed their gratitude, stating,
"We are truly honored and delighted to win the LG Electronics iPBL Idea Competition. This achievement would not have been possible without the guidance of Professor Youngsu Cha and the invaluable advice from Heegu Park, Senior Researcher at LG Electronics Living Solution Advanced Research Lab. We sincerely appreciate their support.”