The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Oh Sang-rok) announced that Senior Researcher Sonya S. Kwak of the Center for Intelligence and Interaction received the “SIGCHI Special Recognition Award” from ACM SIGCHI, an academic society in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), at the CHI 2026 international conference held in Barcelona, Spain, on April 15.
This award is significant as it signifies international recognition of her innovative design approach to naturally integrating robots into everyday environments, as well as its potential for industrial and societal expansion, within the fields of human-robot interaction and robotic product design.
ACM SIGCHI (Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction) is the world’s largest academic community in the field of HCI, leading research trends by organizing major international conferences, including CHI. In particular, the SIGCHI Awards are regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the field, as they comprehensively evaluate not only academic contributions but also industrial and societal impact.
Dr. Kwak has proposed a new design paradigm in the fields of HCI and robotic product design, expanding the concept of robots from standalone machines to “robotic products” integrated into everyday objects and environments. In her early research, she applied social cues—such as personality, language, gaze, and gestures—observed in human-to-human interactions to robots, empirically elucidating their impact on user perception, trust, and acceptance, and establishing design principles for human-robot interaction.
Subsequent research evolved toward redefining the form and concept of robots. Moving beyond traditional human- and animal-centric designs, the study introduced the concept of “robotic products”—everyday objects such as cups, furniture, and doors that incorporate perception, cognition, and action capabilities. This proposed a new approach to bridging the gap between user expectations and current technological capabilities.
Furthermore, the research proposed a multi-robot system framework in which multiple robotic products collaborate to provide services, and introduced the concept of a “mediator” to integrate and manage these systems, thereby presenting a collaborative robot ecosystem. This research has led to practical implementations, manifesting in various forms such as the commercialization of the educational robot HangulBot, the multi-robot collaboration system CollaBot, the modular robotic furniture oOoBOT, and the transformable robotic space PopupBot. These examples demonstrate the potential for human-centered robot design and the creation of smart environments.
This award is significant not only for the technology itself but also because it signifies international recognition of KIST’s research philosophy, which places “people” at the center. Given ACM SIGCHI’s rigorous evaluation criteria and high level of competition, the award underscores the global competitiveness of research that redefines human-centered design by embedding robotic intelligence into everyday objects and environments.
Dr. Kwak stated, “This award is a result of the international recognition of the importance of human-centered robot design and industry-academia collaborative research,” adding, “We will continue to expand our research toward enabling robots to operate naturally within everyday environments and improve the quality of life.” Dr. Kwak’s research team plans to continuously expand its research on human-centered robot services, including AI-based interactive robotic furniture, multi-robot collaboration systems, and hyper-personalized smart spaces.
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KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://kist.re.kr/eng/index.do