"Developing Educational Robots and Drones, Providing AI and Coding Classes Tailored to Children's Needs" [Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Expanding Globally]
“ALUX is the only ‘EDUTECH’ company in Korea that develops and services future educational content, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and coding with educational products such as robots and drones that it has developed in-house.”
Lee Da-in, co-CEO of ALUX, said this in an interview held at the Seoul Startup Hub in Dobong-gu, Seoul, on the 9th. CEO Lee said, “ALUX was established with the motto of education services in 2015,” and added, “We have built an education network through after-school education companies such as local education companies and academies, and currently providing services in areas such as coding, AI, and drones that are necessary for living in the future. “We are expanding,” she explained.

The co-representative is explaining the infant coding robot "VINU" and the coding drone "By Robot" developed by ALUX at the Seoul Startup Hub in eastern Seoul on the 9th.
The business that ALUX focuses on is future education, such as AI and coding, and the robot and drone manufacturing business, and is characterized by a focus on enabling even young students before entering elementary school to learn AI and coding education.
CEO Lee said, “When young students receive computer coding education, they sometimes don’t know what to learn.” She added, “We thought about building a network that begins education with visible products, such as robots and drones, rather than invisible software education.”
The robot developed by ALUX is special. Their robots for infants can be coded without using a complicated computer. This robot is ‘VINU,' an unplugged coding robot first released in Korea in 2021. It is largely composed of an LED LCD screen, a sensor at the bottom, and wheels that can move the robot. One can set the robot's movements freely using the bottom sensor and code using simple operations. The VINU robot, which is smaller than the palm of your hand, has 400 types of content.
CEO Lee said, “The Probo robot series, first developed by ALUX, allows students to freely assemble parts as they imagine to create robots in various shapes.
"Students can also code its movements to optimize movements for various shapes," she explained. The PROBO robot series is a successful product that will enable ALUX to dominate the education market. Currently, it is utilized as a teaching aid in robot classrooms in about 2,500 elementary schools across the country, and about 300,000 students are studying through the PROBO Robot Series.
ALUX not only secured its own technology and market in educational robots that walk on the ground, but they have also expanded business into the drone field. A representative example of such expansion is the hiring of Ji Sang-ki, former CEO of ViRobot, who is considered a pioneer of domestic drones, as an internal director. Furthermore, the sales rights for ViRobot drone sales rights were acquired.
CEO Lee said, “Currently, ALUX’s drones include those specialized for coding education and those that can play soccer in the air.
“Among them, the coding drone’s movements can be set without using a computer.”
During the interview, CEO Lee personally coded the drone's movements and conducted a test run. Her coding method was simple: have the drone recognize a few picture cards with a sensor. Then, the drone took off, moved, and landed smoothly according to the input motion.
CEO Lee said, “Educational drones must be operated simultaneously by many students in a small classroom, so technology that is physically small and prevents interference between drones is more important than anything else.”
She added, “ALUX’s ViRobot embodies all of such advantages. It is a product that allows free coordination and group work with about 30 drones in a small space.”
ALUX's advantages over other companies are its manpower, technology, and resources to develop its own robots and drones. Most educational companies receive external supplies of robots used as teaching material. However, since ALUX develops such technology directly, it can quickly provide the educational content the market wants in line with market demand. ALUX claims that everything from planning to development, production, and release is completed within a meager 4 to 5-month period. In addition, a total of 33 technology patents for products and services are also a unique strength of ALUX.
ALUX's future education is expanding not only in Korea but also globally. Currently, ALUX is expanding local education in China, Malaysia, and Singapore. In particular, the 'Global PRC Robot Coding Competition,' which ALUX started in Korea in 2014, has grown into an international-level robot competition with more than 10,000 participants yearly from all around the world. This year, the competition will be held at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul in November. About 2,000 overseas students and 8,000 domestic students will participate in the preliminary rounds, and 1,000 will win tickets to the finals.
CEO Lee graduated from university in 2006 and started working at a large company. CEO Lee said, “After working at the company for 10 years, I wanted to contribute to society with my abilities rather than just being a salaried office worker. Then, co-CEO Lee Chi-heon suggested we start a business together, and I accepted.
“After jumping into the startup business, I only focused on one value: ‘future education,’” she said.
CEO Lee's business was not always smooth. She said, “At the beginning of the business, we outsourced the production of educational robots to an external company, but there were limitations in immediately reflecting the market demand, and at a time when all education was suspended due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), there were no generated sales," she said.
Through such adversity, CEO Lee decided to try everything she could within the category of education. She said, “Even now, if you try ten things, half of them either have no results or fail. But if you are afraid of failure, it seems there is never progress.
“It is important to try first without getting frustrated,” she said.
Lastly, CEO Lee said, “In the future, many people will receive education that is different from today’s,”
adding, “Through this process, I hope to contribute to ALUX's growth into a company that provides and leads education appropriate to the times, and through this, we will help create a better society.”
Source: Segye Ilbo reporter Kim Bum-soo https://www.segye.com/newsView/20230817514005?OutUrl=naver
"Developing Educational Robots and Drones, Providing AI and Coding Classes Tailored to Children's Needs" [Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Expanding Globally]
“ALUX is the only ‘EDUTECH’ company in Korea that develops and services future educational content, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and coding with educational products such as robots and drones that it has developed in-house.”
Lee Da-in, co-CEO of ALUX, said this in an interview held at the Seoul Startup Hub in Dobong-gu, Seoul, on the 9th. CEO Lee said, “ALUX was established with the motto of education services in 2015,” and added, “We have built an education network through after-school education companies such as local education companies and academies, and currently providing services in areas such as coding, AI, and drones that are necessary for living in the future. “We are expanding,” she explained.
The co-representative is explaining the infant coding robot "VINU" and the coding drone "By Robot" developed by ALUX at the Seoul Startup Hub in eastern Seoul on the 9th.
The business that ALUX focuses on is future education, such as AI and coding, and the robot and drone manufacturing business, and is characterized by a focus on enabling even young students before entering elementary school to learn AI and coding education.
CEO Lee said, “When young students receive computer coding education, they sometimes don’t know what to learn.” She added, “We thought about building a network that begins education with visible products, such as robots and drones, rather than invisible software education.”
The robot developed by ALUX is special. Their robots for infants can be coded without using a complicated computer. This robot is ‘VINU,' an unplugged coding robot first released in Korea in 2021. It is largely composed of an LED LCD screen, a sensor at the bottom, and wheels that can move the robot. One can set the robot's movements freely using the bottom sensor and code using simple operations. The VINU robot, which is smaller than the palm of your hand, has 400 types of content.
CEO Lee said, “The Probo robot series, first developed by ALUX, allows students to freely assemble parts as they imagine to create robots in various shapes.
"Students can also code its movements to optimize movements for various shapes," she explained. The PROBO robot series is a successful product that will enable ALUX to dominate the education market. Currently, it is utilized as a teaching aid in robot classrooms in about 2,500 elementary schools across the country, and about 300,000 students are studying through the PROBO Robot Series.
ALUX not only secured its own technology and market in educational robots that walk on the ground, but they have also expanded business into the drone field. A representative example of such expansion is the hiring of Ji Sang-ki, former CEO of ViRobot, who is considered a pioneer of domestic drones, as an internal director. Furthermore, the sales rights for ViRobot drone sales rights were acquired.
CEO Lee said, “Currently, ALUX’s drones include those specialized for coding education and those that can play soccer in the air.
“Among them, the coding drone’s movements can be set without using a computer.”
During the interview, CEO Lee personally coded the drone's movements and conducted a test run. Her coding method was simple: have the drone recognize a few picture cards with a sensor. Then, the drone took off, moved, and landed smoothly according to the input motion.
CEO Lee said, “Educational drones must be operated simultaneously by many students in a small classroom, so technology that is physically small and prevents interference between drones is more important than anything else.”
She added, “ALUX’s ViRobot embodies all of such advantages. It is a product that allows free coordination and group work with about 30 drones in a small space.”
ALUX's advantages over other companies are its manpower, technology, and resources to develop its own robots and drones. Most educational companies receive external supplies of robots used as teaching material. However, since ALUX develops such technology directly, it can quickly provide the educational content the market wants in line with market demand. ALUX claims that everything from planning to development, production, and release is completed within a meager 4 to 5-month period. In addition, a total of 33 technology patents for products and services are also a unique strength of ALUX.
ALUX's future education is expanding not only in Korea but also globally. Currently, ALUX is expanding local education in China, Malaysia, and Singapore. In particular, the 'Global PRC Robot Coding Competition,' which ALUX started in Korea in 2014, has grown into an international-level robot competition with more than 10,000 participants yearly from all around the world. This year, the competition will be held at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul in November. About 2,000 overseas students and 8,000 domestic students will participate in the preliminary rounds, and 1,000 will win tickets to the finals.
CEO Lee graduated from university in 2006 and started working at a large company. CEO Lee said, “After working at the company for 10 years, I wanted to contribute to society with my abilities rather than just being a salaried office worker. Then, co-CEO Lee Chi-heon suggested we start a business together, and I accepted.
“After jumping into the startup business, I only focused on one value: ‘future education,’” she said.
CEO Lee's business was not always smooth. She said, “At the beginning of the business, we outsourced the production of educational robots to an external company, but there were limitations in immediately reflecting the market demand, and at a time when all education was suspended due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), there were no generated sales," she said.
Through such adversity, CEO Lee decided to try everything she could within the category of education. She said, “Even now, if you try ten things, half of them either have no results or fail. But if you are afraid of failure, it seems there is never progress.
“It is important to try first without getting frustrated,” she said.
Lastly, CEO Lee said, “In the future, many people will receive education that is different from today’s,”
adding, “Through this process, I hope to contribute to ALUX's growth into a company that provides and leads education appropriate to the times, and through this, we will help create a better society.”
Source: Segye Ilbo reporter Kim Bum-soo https://www.segye.com/newsView/20230817514005?OutUrl=naver