- How to Build Your Own Robot October 23, 2018
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Interview with alumnus Sanghoon Oh, CEO of robotics platform startup LUXROBO
Sanghoon Oh, CEO of LUXROBOEntrepreneurship has become an attractive career option rather than a faraway dream. Meet Yonseian Sanghoon Oh (entering class of ’14, Electrical & Electronics Engineering) who is the CEO of LUXROBO, a startup which created an innovative modular platform called MODI.
Q. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Sanghoon Oh and I am CEO of LUXROBO. Ever since I was a little kid I liked robots, so I decided to I major in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. From 2013–2014, I was the youngest national coach participating in robotics competitions, and I won the international robot competition RoboFest for three consecutive years. I was finally able to turn my passion into a business during my senior year at Yonsei University and four years have passed since then. Since I was young I worked hard and was not afraid to fail, so I think that is why I am living my dream now. Some people say I am reckless because I just go for things that want to achieve.
Q. You have done a lot of work with robots. What is your most memorable experience?
When I was a sophomore student, I was working as head of the Intelligence Battle Robot Research Team of the Robotics Lab at Kwangwoon University and our team had won a 10 billion KRW research project to create quadcopters. I was very young at the time and felt overburdened with responsibility; I could barely get any sleep obsessing over the project.
One day I fell asleep during a propeller rotation test and slashed my hand. I was rushed to the hospital. The propeller’s RPM was very high; looking back, it could have been my head and I could have died. It was a very dangerous situation.
After my injury, my professor seriously recommended that I give up the project. But my determination was strong and I asked for more time — just one more month. In the end, our team completed the quadcopter project one month after my injury, just as promised. I believe that my mindset of not giving up until the end made me who I am today. So that experience was eye-opening for me.
Q. Tell us how you began your company, LUXROBO.
LUXROBO is a combination of the words “lux” (referring to a unit of luminosity; luxury) and “robotics,” signifying a company that enlightens the world through the application of robot technology. Our company strives to contribute in developing coding and robotics education, as well as helping students learn better, with MODI. In particular, it is my hope that MODI will provide a more positive learning experience for students. Thus, I believe that this company, as well as myself, could be the light that shines on the world.
I launched LUXROBO with Seung Bae Son, who was my senior by one year and conducting robotic research at the prestigious Agency for Defense Development at the time. I was very persistent in persuading him to join me, and he is currently Chief Technology Officer at LUXROBO. Seung Bae is a part of a diverse group of employees from various majors and ages. Our staff of about 40 people includes world champions of robot or design competitions, former employees of major companies, teachers, and students. What everyone at LUXROBO has in common is that they follow their passion, they are determined to reach their goals, and they love our MODI products.
Q. What exactly is MODI?
MODI is a product that enables anyone to learn to write code easily and build robotic creations you can use in everyday life. Think if it as LEGO blocks with artificial intelligence. With MODI you can create all sorts of cool devices, such as a mini Segway, an RC car, or a cat-feeding machine.
The MODI modular kit comes with 13 different module blocks with various functions, such as LED, motor controller, temperature and humidity sensor, and infrared light sensor. Users can easily piece them together in any way they wish to create their own device. For example, your MODI device can open the trash, feed the cat, control temperature and humidity levels for your plants, or turn off room lights with your cell phone.
MODI is highly advanced but easy to use, so even people who know nothing about coding can learn to use it quickly. It is perfect for software training, so MODI is highly recognized and widely used in the UK, Dubai, and other global markets as a learning tool for coding education. Last year, we exported to 48 countries.
Q. How did you come up with the idea to create an educational robot?
Since I was five years old, I loved to touch and play with things. I got into a lot of trouble for taking apart household items and putting them back together. So, my parents bought me a science kit for my birthday, and from then on I started creating my own little pieces like airplanes and aircraft carriers. Then, when I was in sixth grade, I got butterflies in my stomach while watching a Mars exploration robot launch on TV. I knew then that I must launch a rocket into space someday.
The first thing I needed to do to make my dream come true was to learn everything about robots. I immediately began contacting robotics labs. I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit one of the labs and meet a researcher. He told me, “I will teach you about robots, and in turn, you will grow up to teach robots to children.” And so I was able to enter the world of robotics.
I won many awards in robotics competitions during my middle and high school years; my experience helped me receive a full scholarship as a robotics specialist student at Yonsei University and I began my research at the robotics lab for undergraduates called “Robit.” I was completely immersed in my studies and research, and I reached a point where I was able to create just about anything I pictured in my mind.
I began to really think about my future and came to the conclusion that I wanted to do something meaningful even if it was against the odds. And so I decided to launch a startup. I wanted to share my knowledge of robots, but I knew that kids would most likely give up if they tried to learn about robots the way I had — the difficult and hard way. I thought to myself, “Let’s make a world where anyone can easily make robots,” and created MODI.
Q. What challenges did you face when creating MODI? How could you overcome them?
As a startup, it was very costly to build a production facility. Building the prototypes were very expensive and it was impossible to start mass production without an investor. At first, the entire staff pitched in to overcome financial difficulties by hand-assembling thousands of products. There was no inspection machine, the painstaking process took forever and it was just the worst time ever. In time, we resolved many issues after partnering with famous UK hardware distributor TSL. Moreover, word got around that our product was recognized first in the overseas market and then we began getting offers from domestic investors.
Q. What do you hope to achieve through MODI and its technology in the future?
My goal is to provide coding education to children in Korea and all over the world with our products. And in the future, my ultimate goal is to put micro-MODI OS in every electronic product to open up a new world where you can write code and create whatever you want.
Q. Any advice for fellow Yonseians interested in startups?
One of the phrases I hear most often in Korea is, “You can’t do this, and you can’t do that.” But do not give in to others. Instead, tell yourself, “Why do people say I can’t? I know I can,” and try to think differently. Always know in your heart that you can do it. You will make it someday if you do not give up, and if you take challenges, and keep persisting on.
Also, I advise you to be patient when starting a business; there is a higher possibility of failure if you lack experience. Think carefully one more time when you reach the end of the preparation process.
“Is my business competitive?”
“Am I having fun?”
“Will this idea contribute to a better future?”
If these questions excite you, then you will have a big chance of succeeding.
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