Welcome to SMART-X Lab.

We are proud to announce that SMART-X Lab has achieved first place (Gold Prize) at the prestigious 2025 Mine-Tech Festa, held on September 3, 2025 at the Korea Mine Reclamation and Mineral Resources Corporation (KOMIR). This national competition recognizes outstanding innovation in the mining and resource industries. Our winning team, GeoInpainter, presented a groundbreaking technology titled:

"High-Precision Digital Terrain Modeling of Open-Pit Mines Powered by AI Inpainting"

Professor Yosoon Choi, director of SMART-X Lab, received the Ministerial Award for Outstanding Research Supervision from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (September 3, 2025). This marks a remarkable three-year winning streak for Professor Choi, whose teams have consecutively led innovations in mine digitalization since 2023.

The Mine-Tech Festa is Korea’s premier innovation contest in the mining sector, featuring top university-industry teams across fields such as exploration, resource processing, mine safety, sustainability, and digital mining.

Published in Solar Energy, Vol. 300, November 2025

Authors: Farshad Khavari, Yosoon Choi

This research proposes a profit-maximizing scheduling framework for the cyclic storage and reuse of CO₂ in underground salt caverns, specifically tailored for solar-to-X systems. The framework integrates CO₂ storage dynamics with Power-to-Gas (PtG) and methanation processes and optimizes operational decisions considering electricity market prices, CO₂ availability, and cavern capacity.

This illustration captures the vision of next-generation energy and resources engineering. It features a smart mining engineer utilizing digital tools such as AI, drones, and IoT in a sustainable landscape powered by renewable energy. From autonomous mining trucks to wind turbines and solar panels, the image symbolizes the integration of green technologies, digital transformation, and carbon-neutral practices. The Korean phrase "새로운 길을 열다" at the top translates to "Opening New Paths," representing innovation, sustainability, and progress.

Members of the SMART-X Lab participated in the 124th Spring Conference of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers (KSMER) held in Jeju from May 28–30, 2025. Our team proudly presented six oral papers covering topics in smart mining, renewable energy systems, and AI-based resource technologies. This group photo captures our commitment to academic excellence and innovation in energy and resources engineering.

Published in Sustainable Cities and Society, Vol. 128, June 2025

Authors: Yosoon Choi, Shubhashish Bhakta

This study explores the integration of wind energy and zinc-bromine flow battery (ZBFB) storage into grid-connected electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Using HOMER Grid simulation, the research evaluates optimal system configurations under Korean energy pricing policies and EV charging tariffs.

Published in: Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 229, September 2025
Authors: Yosoon Choi, Shubhashish Bhakta

This study evaluates the field performance of a grid-connected electric vehicle charging system that integrates bifacial photovoltaic (PV) panels with flywheel energy storage. Installed on a university campus parking lot in South Korea, the system was analyzed using both real-time data and HOMER Grid simulations. The results show that the bifacial PV modules enhanced solar energy yield by capturing reflected light, while the flywheel stabilized output for intermittent charging loads. The system demonstrated a cost-effective and technically reliable approach to sustainable EV charging under real-world urban conditions.

Published in: Ain Shams Engineering Journal, Vol. 16, June 2025

Authors: Sebeom Park, Dahee Jung, Yosoon Choi 

This study introduces a novel integrated Key Performance Indicator (KPI) framework designed to evaluate the operational efficiency of open-pit mine haulage systems more holistically. By incorporating nine standardized KPIs developed by the Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG), the researchers aimed to overcome the limitations of individual performance indicators—such as uptime, utilization, or production efficiency—by synthesizing them into a single, intuitive benchmark. The proposed integrated KPI enables mine operators to assess system performance more clearly, supporting better real-time decision-making, maintenance scheduling, and long-term asset management strategies.

Published in: Applied Energy, Vol. 397, November 2025
Authors: Jimin Hong, Yosoon Choi

In a step toward smarter solar EV usage, this study introduces a novel parking assistance system that helps drivers choose parking spots with the best solar exposure. The system uses a 360° VR camera mounted on the vehicle to capture hemispherical sky images, which are analyzed to detect shading. It also integrates real-time solar radiation forecasting based on meteorological data and deep learning models.