Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has announced the appointment of Professor Yoo Ji-hwan from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as a Commissioner to the Administrative Committee (AdCom) of the Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), representing the Asia region. IEEE is the world’s largest electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, and communications organization.
Professor Yoo has been appointed as a member representing Asia and will serve for three years starting this January. This appointment is considered a significant achievement, particularly because it has brought the representation of Asia, monopolized by Japan and China, to South Korea.
The IEEE RAS Administrative Committee is a core organization that drives policy decisions and strategic direction in the field of robotics and automation. Each year, only six new members are elected globally, with a total of 18 Commissioners.
Additionally, Professor Yoo has been selected as a Fellow of the IEEE and will serve as the Editor-in-Chief of the Transactions on Haptics starting this January. The title of IEEE Fellow is an honorary status awarded to a select few researchers among IEEE members whose research contributions are exceptional, representing the top 0.1% of members worldwide.
Professor Yoo Ji-hwan is a leading scholar in the fields of haptics and remote control, contributing to the area through numerous international journal papers and patents while addressing stability and time delay issues. Since 2018, he has served as General Chair of the AsiaHaptics conference and Editor-in-Chief of the World Haptics Conference.
Professor Yoo said, "Through this selection, I will globally represent the interests of the South Korean and Asian robotics societies, promote the status of South Korea's robotics and automation technology internationally, and contribute to academic exchanges and technological advancements." He expressed, "It is a great honor to be selected as an IEEE Fellow, and I will continue to contribute to the development of robotics and automation in South Korea and around the world through academic research and technological innovation".
Professor Yoo Ji-hwan earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from KAIST and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Washington and the German Aerospace Center. Since 2019, he has been a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at KAIST and is currently the head professor of the KAIST interdisciplinary robotics program.