South Korean Research Team Develops Smart Table Clock

The UNIST team received a thesis award at this year’s Computer-Human Interaction conference from the Association for Computing Machinery for their the interactive table clock named “Cuito”, which can interact with humans based on the information it gathers. (Image: UNIST)

SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) – A research team led by professor of creative design engineering Park Yeong-woo at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has developed a smart table clock that receives information from computers or smartphones and then informs users of their schedule.

The UNIST team received a thesis award at this year’s Computer-Human Interaction conference from the Association for Computing Machinery for their the interactive table clock named “Cuito”, which can interact with humans based on the information it gathers.

The ACM CHI is one of the most prestigious conferences in interaction design and human-computer interaction technology, where renowned universities and global IT giants including Microsoft and Facebook gather and reveal findings from their latest research.

Among 2,400 theses, only the top five percent were given a prize, and professor Park’s team consisting of postgraduate students Lee Gyeong-ryong and Go Gun-ill were the only South Koreans to receive the thesis award this year.

Made of concrete and wood, Cuito connects itself to other IT devices including smartphones or computers to obtain information via WiFi, with the push of a button.

When the concrete part of the clock has been pressed, the clock hands then begin to move and a light comes on, revealing the user’s next scheduled activity.

Another striking feature of the interactive clock keeps users up to date with their plans, sometimes announcing the time left between the present and the next plan.

The UNIST team received a thesis award at this year’s Computer-Human Interaction conference from the Association for Computing Machinery for their the interactive table clock named “Cuito”, which can interact with humans based on the information it gathers. (Image: UNIST)

“Cuito drew attention for incorporating digital information into analogue devices with its nature-inspired design. It will become a product that helps spend the day more effectively while allowing people to understand the concept of time and plan their schedule better.

“We left open the possibility of using concrete when it comes to product design. We are happy that our invention with a focus on design has been well received in the field of human-computer interaction technology.

Hyunsu Yim (hyunsu@koreabizwire.com)