Hyomuk Kim

I am a staff engineer and roboticist at Robot Center, Samsung Research working on mobile robot navigation with Mid-Eum Choi and Junghyun Kwon.

Recently I have been diving deep into Visual Navigation for 3D localization, mapping, and robust navigation. I also endeavored to perform research projects on neural networks for Brain-Machine Interface advised by Inchul Hwang and Daniel D. Lee, and Neural Speech Synthesis engine advised by Chanwoo Kim at Global AI Center.

Previously, I worked as a hardware engineer for 5 years, developing circuit systems for various TV models at the Visual Display Division of Samsung Electronics. Additionally, I served as a planner and manager for a year, leading a 6-member team in a project focused on a user content archive platform utilizing multi-device interfaces at C-Lab.

This website is dedicated to helping you gain a better understanding of my research journey.

Please refer to my Curriculum Vitae.

Research Interests

Robotics, Autonomous Navigation, Computer Vision, Machine Learning

Research Objectives

General Objectives

Explore robots' ability to understand and navigate diverse environments safely both indoors and outdoors when performing a variety of tasks, also considering learning-based methodologies for continuous intelligence improvement.

Specific Objectives

• Assess autonomous robots and vehicles' ability to navigate complex 3D environments with various static and dynamic obstacles using limited sensor data like images or scans, while considering practical constraints.

• Develop techniques to factorize scene elements from visual sensors, incorporating semantic objects and diverse features, utilizing both novel neural networks and classical tracking methods. Investigate geometric parameterization for detailed 3D space representation for future planning. Explore methods for integrating multiple visual and sensory inputs dynamically for adaptability across varied sensor configurations to minimize geometric ambiguity.

• Discuss how robots enhance navigation through diverse learning approaches (such as deep reinforcement learning, imitation learning, neural SLAM, and even meta-learning), and describe their incremental expansion of semantic perception and mapping, through which emphasize the importance of evolving robot navigation through continuous learning.

• Evaluate robots' adaptability in unique environments like underwater, forests, and outer space, assessing their seamless navigation capabilities across these environments to achieve long-lasting navigation for versatile robots.

Professional Experiences

• Staff Engineer (Robotics), Robot Intelligence Team, Robot Center, Samsung Research
  – Apr. 2021 ~ Present
• Engineer (Deep Learning), Global AI Center, Samsung Research
  – Jan. 2020 – Apr. 2021
• Engineer (Deep Learning), Language & Voice Team, Global AI Center, Samsung Research
  – Apr. 2018 – Jan. 2020
• Project Leader, C-Lab., Visual Display Div., Samsung Electronics
  – Jun. 2014 – Jun. 2015
• Engineer (Circuitry), TV R&D Lab., Visual Display Div., Samsung Electronics
  – Apr. 2013 – Apr. 2018

Military Service

• First Lieutenant, Reconnaissance Battalion, 60th Div., Republic of Korea Army
  – Mar. 2011 – Jun. 2013

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University
  – Feb. 2011
• Cadet, ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Corps) program 49^th, Republic of Korea Army
  – Mar. 2009 ~ Feb. 2011