In a remarkable presentation on Tuesday, April 16, Tyler Kim ‘20 gave a speech about his Guild Paper surrounding algorithms he built to create a new steering system for four-wheeled vehicles.

The idea is, in principle, fairly simple. In four-wheeled vehicles with omnidirectional (or 4WIS/4WID) capabilities, precious steering systems had been complex, unintuitive, and expensive. However, Tyler has devised a better way to steer omnidirectional vehicles.

The entire system hinges on Kim’s use of a “Space Mouse”, essentially a normal computer mouse modified so that it can have 6-axis directional control. The Space Mouse was originally developed to control CAD programs, but Kim has modified it so that it can be used to control his prototype vehicle.

Sponsored by Dr. Ben Nadire, his project has stretched over a year and a half, as he conducted valuable research that could shape an entire industry. The piece de resistance of Tyler’s research is his brilliant algorithm, which makes it more intuitive than ever to control all kinds of 4WIS/4WID vehicles, such as electric wheelchairs and warehouse vehicles.

In effect, the Kim system combines simplistic controls to the enhanced maneuverability of omnidirectional vehicles. Tyler also has patents pending in Korea and has won numerous scientific awards, dedicating his presentation to his computer science mentor and Sewol ferry disaster victim, Dong Min Lee.