[Exclusive] "Go to Bed at 11:10 p.m."... The Key Feature of Galaxy Watch8 Was Created by a World-Renowned Mathematician

Technology Developed by KAIST Professor Jae Kyung Kim Embedded in Galaxy Watch
Personalized Sleep Health Advice for Users Expected

The 'AI Sleep Coach,' a key feature of the Galaxy Watch8 introduced by Samsung Electronics, was created not by an engineer, but by a mathematician. That mathematician is Jae Kyung Kim, a world-renowned mathematical biologist and professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at KAIST.

According to the scientific community on July 11, Professor Kim, who also serves as the Chief Investigator (CI) of the Biomedical Mathematics Group at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), developed AI technology using mathematics such as differential equations. This technology has now been embedded into a smartwatch manufactured by a Korean company, transforming it into a 'health assistant' that provides personalized sleep health management for users around the world. It is also drawing attention as a case of industry-academic collaboration.

Jae Kyung Kim, Professor at KAIST.

The Galaxy Watch8, announced by Samsung Electronics on July 9, features a new AI sleep management function that analyzes users' sleep patterns and recommends the optimal bedtime. While most smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, offer sleep management features, this technology stands out because it provides advice tailored to the era of artificial intelligence, developed by a scientist.

The AI algorithm developed by Professor Kim's team receives sleep data from users wearing the Galaxy Watch during sleep and suggests the optimal bedtime and wake-up time?when the brain and body can recover most efficiently?in the form of a 'Time Window.'

Rather than simply saying "Sleep for eight hours," the system provides concrete and actionable guidance, such as "It is most ideal to go to bed between 11:10 p.m. and 11:40 p.m." Samsung Electronics is also highlighting the sleep management feature in its promotion of the Galaxy Watch8.

While conventional sleep apps have focused on analyzing the 'quantity' of sleep?how long one has slept?Professor Kim's technology emphasizes the 'regularity' and 'timing' of sleep, specifically when one falls asleep and wakes up.

Jae Kyung Kim is a globally recognized authority in the field of mathematical biology, who has conducted research on sleep using mathematics. He has focused on analyzing the human body's 24-hour circadian rhythm through mathematical modeling.

In 2023, Professor Kim, in collaboration with Professor Eun Yeon Joo and Professor Soo Jung Choi's team at Samsung Medical Center and Professor Ji Hyun Kim's team at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, developed and released online an algorithm called 'SLEEPS (SimpLe quEstionnairE Predicting Sleep disorders)' that can predict three types of sleep disorders.

Sleep management feature of Galaxy Watch8. Photo by Samsung Electronics

Professor Kim explained, "When you sleep is just as important as, or even more important than, how much you sleep in determining health and sleep quality," and added, "The core of this technology is to find the optimal pattern within an individual's irregular data using mathematical models."

Professor Kim is already recognized in academia as a star scientist. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, worked at Ohio State University, and joined KAIST in 2015. In 2021, he received the 'Young Scientist Award' from the Ministry of Science and ICT, and in 2023, he was elected as a member of the Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology (Y-KAST), establishing himself as a highly promising researcher both in Korea and abroad. He also authored the book "If Mathematics Is the Language of Life" to help readers better understand mathematical biology.