Designing the Future
Enhancing Collaboration and Creativity
KOAS Co., Ltd. (CEO Min Kyung-jung) announced the winners of its “1st KOAS AI Furniture Challenge: Designing the Future Hackathon Competition,” in which six teams that advanced to the finals — from a total of 67 teams of domestic and international university students and graduates — competed at the KOAS headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The winning teams were: ▲1st place, Ryu Ji-su and Jang Eun-seok (Gongbeuyeon, Chung-Ang University); ▲2nd place, Park Hye-seong, Kim Ki-yun, Jeong Min-ho, and Seok Dong-hyun (Korea Polytechnic University, ShareS); ▲3rd place, Yu Ha-rin and Yoon Su-bin (Chung-Ang University, BCIT, APT Friends) and Kim Do-gyun (Hyupsung University, Artenetics); and ▲Participation Award, Kim Chae-rin (Sangmyung University) and Lee In-young, Won Ye-rin, and Lee Ji-eun (Seoul Women’s University, Sangbu-sangjo).
Judged on criteria including scalability, effectiveness, and marketability, the honors went to an AI-based modular premium single-person workstation, a solution that helps people with limited mobility work comfortably from home, a multipurpose apartment community lounge easily managed by an AI system, and an AI-based chair design specialized for posture correction.
This competition, which aims to create future-oriented wellness spaces by combining AI technology with furniture design, is the first of its kind attempted in Korea’s office furniture industry.
The two-day, one-night hackathon began with keynote lectures by Professor Park Jong-rae (head judge, DGIST), Professor Jeong Jae-wook (Department of Design, University of Ulsan), Professor Seo Su-kyung (Department of Environmental Design, Sookmyung Women’s University), Professor Lim Kwang-soon (Department of Life Tech, Kyungmin University), and CEO Son Ryang-hee (Emma Healthcare). Participants then refined their ideas through the night while receiving feedback from these judges and the company’s in-house mentors.
Through this process, the participating teams proposed innovative solutions centered on three themes: smart furniture utilizing AI and IoT, sustainable eco-friendly furniture, and human-centered design for a healthy living environment.
▲ KOAS CEO Min Kyung-jung presents the first-place award and prize money to Ryu Ji-su and Jang Eun-seok (Gongbeuyeon).