Congratulations on your award! Can the three of you tell us about yourselves?

Hello, my name is Cheung Changwook. I was a part of the team that developed the CES 2022 Innovation Award Honoree ‘Mind-linked Bathbot.’ My background is in marketing, and after spending nine years developing products at various brands within Amorepacific, I joined the Customer Technology Lab this year.
My name is Seo Jeongeun. I work at the Amorepacific Customer Technology Lab. I am a physical chemistry scientist, and I used to work in Singapore, conducting materials research for sensor development. After joining Amorepacific in 2016, I worked on various technologies that can be newly applied in the beauty sector, like 3D-printed face masks, customized lip picker, and Bathbot.
I’m Kwon Gusang from the Amorepacific Consumer Insight & Innovation Lab. I have a Ph.D. in brain science, and after joining Amorepacific I have been researching brain science technologies that can be used in the cosmetics industry, from product development to consumer research. Currently, my focus is on connecting brain science with customer experience.

How does ‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ work? How was it developed?

The ‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ detects people’s emotions by analyzing brain waves, then makes a customized bath bomb on the spot, using fragrances and colors that benefit the detected emotions. First, the customer puts on a specially developed headset with eight sensors. It measures brain waves in real-time, which is analyzed through an AI algorithm that recommends fragrances and colors tailored to the user’s emotional status. Then a customized bath bomb using these recommendations is made by a robot – in just one minute.
The first model we developed used a kiosk survey to find each customer’s current mood and direct them to the fragrances and colors that cater to it. We opened two pop-up stores in Seoul this year with this initial model, met with customers, and realized it would be great to upgrade with a more accurate way to detect customers’ needs. So we came to combine our Bathbot with the brain science research that Gusang was working on at the Customer Insights & Innovation Lab. We replaced the kiosk questionnaire with brain wave measurements to detect emotions, which led to the final creation of the ‘Mind-linked Bathbot.’

Please tell us how and why Amorepacific is combining brain science with beauty.

Brain science is widely used across a variety of sectors, and the beauty industry is of no exception. The combination of brain science and beauty is appealing because it allows us to identify what our customers experience through their senses like smell and touch when they are using our products. We’re also making efforts to estimate user’s emotions using brain science, including research on the emotional benefits that a product can deliver, as well as creating innovative solutions that are tailored to each customer’s emotions.

How does the brain wave measurement technology work in the ‘Mind-linked Bathbot’?

The ‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ recommends fragrances and colors based on the user’s electroencephalogram (EEG) data, which refers to the electric activity of the brain neurons. This data is used to interpret various cognitive and emotional activities. For the past three years, Amorepacific has collaborated with imec, a world-leading R&D hub focusing on disruptive innovation, to develop our own EEG headset and software that can read brain waves and estimate emotions in real-time. Amorepacific is the first company in the beauty industry to develop a headset that reflects the company’s internal needs. This ergonomically-designed headset can read into the user’s emotions in real-time. It uses its eight sensors to capture brain wave signals, which are then analyzed through a software based on machine learning. It identifies three indicators: valence, arousal, and preference, all of which are criteria for emotion estimation, and recommends fragrances and colors that cater to it. For instance, the Bathbot would suggest a relaxing fragrance and color to customers with high-stress levels to help them reduce their stress.

What makes the ‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ technology so innovative?

‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ required a formula that would allow instant production. Conventional bath bombs mix water and ingredients and then dry them. However, the drying and hardening process takes time, so we couldn’t use it for an on-the-spot, personalized mini-factory service. Instead, Amorepacific came up with a new powder formula – one that doesn’t require water or a drying process and can produce the product on the spot in just one minute.
‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ also applies innovative robotics technology that Amorepacific developed. It can blend the fragrances and colors quickly, accurately, and hygienically into thousands of different combinations. Considering that the Bathbot is a movable mini-factory that can be set up anytime and anywhere, we came up with a simple touch panel design that would be easy for anyone to operate. We also designed the mini-factory to ensure that the production process is not affected by the environment where it operates, yet at the same time, is open for viewing so that customers can enjoy watching the robotic arm make their bath bombs. And by combining the brain wave measurement in the process, the ‘Mind-linked Bathbot’ was able to become a unique, innovative service.

What are your plans for this award-winning technology?

With ‘Mind-linked Bathbot,’ Amorepacific has gained technology and insights on the on-site, personalized formulation of various powder-based products. We can expand this technology and service to offer personalized shampoo bars, shower bars, or hand soaps, which are great because they are also plastic-free and environment-friendly. Tests into other product forms are already underway. And as Amorepacific also continues to develop brain science-applied application further, we hope to widen our hyper-personalized portfolio into cleansing, make-up, and even skincare in the future.