/ Introduction to KI

KI for Human Augmentation Convergence; KIHAC

October 18, 2025
Bio-Integrated Electronics and Systems Lab (BIESL), KIHAC
The Bio-Integrated Electronics and Systems Laboratory (BIESL) at KAIST pioneers the future of bio-integrated electronics and systems that will redefine healthcare and biomedicine. Our mission is to establish seamless physical and functional connections between electronics and living systems, opening new possibilities for healthcare, human–machine interfaces, and brain research. We explore soft materials, liquid metals, device design, and sensing and actuation technologies to engineer interfaces where biology and technology converge. By combining bio-integrated design with state-of-the-art engineering, we create wearable, implantable, and transformative electronic platforms that expand the boundaries of medicine and human experience.

1. Transformative Electronics

Traditionally, electronics have been designed with static form factors to serve designated purposes. This approach has been the standard for maintaining overall device performance and reliability in targeted applications. However, electronics capable of changing their shape and mechanical properties—such as stiffness and stretchability—will enable versatile systems that accommodate a wider range of applications. By leveraging stimuli-responsive materials such as liquid metals, our lab develops reconfigurable systems that seamlessly adjust to diverse environments and use cases. From next-generation wearables and implantables to adaptive sensors, robotics, and displays, we aim to transform electronics into adaptive, reconfigurable systems. Some recent highlights include body-temperature-softening intravenous needles and magnetic shape-morphing systems for 3D displays and soft robotics.

Figure. Transformative electronics in biomedical, human-machine interfaces and soft robotics
Figure. Transformative electronics in biomedical, human-machine interfaces and soft robotics

2. Wearable Skin-like Electronics

Most biomedical devices today are mechanically mismatched with human tissue. At BIESL, we design soft, skin-conformable devices that behave like a “second skin.” These flexible, stretchable systems integrate sensing, therapy, and wireless communication, enabling personalized and ubiquitous healthcare. By combining electronics with photonics and microfluidics, we are creating bio-integrated platforms that can continuously monitor health and actively respond to the body’s needs.

Figure. Stretchable microneedle adhesive patches for reliable electrophysiological sensing in healthcare and human-machine interface applications
Figure. Stretchable microneedle adhesive patches for reliable electrophysiological sensing in healthcare and human-machine interface applications

3. Implantable Soft Electronics

Implantable devices are critical for probing and treating the body from within. We focus on soft, biocompatible implants that can stimulate and measure diverse physiological signals with high precision and minimal tissue disturbance. Our major research directions include wireless, multimodal neural probes for brain sensing and control and stent-like electronic implants for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases—pushing the frontier of neuroscience and neuromedicine.

Figure. Soft wireless neural implants for advanced neural interfaces
Figure. Soft wireless neural implants for advanced neural interfaces

Summary

At BIESL, we strive to invent the next generation of bio-integrated systems—merging electronics, biology, and materials science to advance human health. Our interdisciplinary research spans flexible and stretchable electronics, optical microsystems, and bio-microfluidics, targeting applications in wearable health monitoring, disease diagnostics and therapy, prosthetics, human–machine interfaces, and brain science.

🔗 More details can be found on our homepage: http://jeongresearch.org

img-ki-for-human-augmentation-convergence-kihac-04Professor Jae-Woong Jeong received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2012–2014) and served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder (2014–2017). He joined KAIST in 2017, where he is currently an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and a KAIST Endowed Chair Professor. His research focuses on developing advanced design and fabrication strategies for bio-integrated electronics, with applications in healthcare, neuroscience, and human–machine interfaces. Professor Jeong’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Scientist of the Month Award (2025.09), the KAIST Transdisciplinary Research Award (2024), the S-Oil Young Scientist Award (2023), recognition as one of the Top 100 Achievements in Korea’s National R&D Projects (2023), the Hyunwoo KAIST Academic Award (2022), and the AMSM Academic Award (2022).

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