Seung‐Woo Son

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea), Samsung (South Korea)

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Seung-Woo Son is a leading figure in industrial robotics, whose work bridges the gap between theoretical control and practical, high-precision automation. His research centers on three critical areas: optimal robot placement, advanced motion control, and sensor-guided assembly. Son’s most influential paper, "A convex programming approach to the base placement of a 6-DOF articulated robot with a spherical wrist" (2019, 18 citations), provides a mathematically rigorous method for optimizing a robot’s base position to maximize its dexterity and workspace—a fundamental challenge in manufacturing cell design. He is also a pioneer in model-based iterative learning control (MB-ILC), as detailed in his 2009 work (10 citations), which cleverly modifies a robot’s trajectory to improve precision without altering existing, proven control hardware. This practical philosophy extends to his work on vision-force guided assembly (2021, 6 citations), where he tackles the sub-mm precision required for assembling delicate components like those in smartphones. By integrating force sensing to prevent circuit damage, Son directly addresses a key bottleneck in modern electronics manufacturing. His development of the HyRoHILS (Hybrid Robot Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation) system further demonstrates his commitment to efficient, real-world implementation, allowing for rapid testing of control algorithms without costly downtime. Through these contributions, Son has established himself as a key innovator in making industrial robots more accurate, adaptable, and production-ready.