What happens in South Korea, no longer stays in South Korea

Once one of the world’s fastest growing economies, South Korea still has a lot of ignition power to move the world economy. Though giants like Samsung and LG may come across as the South Korean conglomerates who pioneered the electronics segment across the globe, a lot of innovation is taking place at smaller (and newer) companies in the country.

Global Mobile Vision 2014, the leading mobile exhibition of Korea, featured many promising entries in the field of technology innovation this year. Over 160 startups were evaluated by a panel of international media houses and industry experts. YourStory travelled to Seoul to meet the participating startups and get a taste of the South Korean startup scene.

Here’s a glance of the most promising mobile innovations from South Korea:

1. BeePi (Bit&Pulse)

What is it? It’s a Bluetooth 4.0 based beacon which works with all Bluetooth Smart Ready devices and enabled smartphones with a range of 80 m.

Why is it in the list? It is a tiny and cost effective device which can be used in cultural heritage sites and museums. It is easy to apply as it brings natural benefits to users. BeePi can also be used to locate cars in a car-parking or in warehouses. Furthermore, its reasonable price makes it accessible to small businesses.

1. Fitmeter

What is it? Fitmeter is an activity management solution for professionals, which has the flexibility of being a wearable for various parts of the body according to the purpose. The product features an easy to understand evaluation results and motivation through group competitions.

Why is it in the list? Activity measurement wearable is a hot trend in the world and Fitmeter (FitLife) is clinically-approved, has world-class high accuracy and professional reporting system. The comparison with other competitors show impressive figures in terms of precision but the other advantage is recommendations of what to do next for those who have certain ailments. This will help personal healthcare, one of the most concerned issues in the near futures.

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2. 9Pixelz

What is it? 9 Pixelz has a mobile publishing platform called Gomtoon, which composes content based on interactive motion and sound FX. In simple words, they make motion comics.

Why is it in the list? Gomtoon is placed at seventh position in comic category in Korea and 9Pixelz is the only company doing this.

1. Unidocs

What is it? Unidocs provide sophisticated digital document solution with many business applications and workflows that integrate with versatile PDF technology.

Why is it in the list? The company presents a very fresh approach to what one can do with PDFs. It is also a well-established business case.

1. Qode Interactive

What is it? Qode Interactive has brought together magnetic movement technology and IOT (Internet of Things) to offer a strong interaction experience. They have developed a technique that allows them to move objects across specially prepared tables without any external contact. Users can enjoy these board games together at the café, pub or hotel through their own smartphones.

Why is it in the list? The usage of IOT magic to create an immersive and enjoyable social experience has made some waves in Korea, and it has the potential to spread around the globe as well.

1. Soso H&C (Brainno)

What is it? The future of the Internet of Things is about new ways to interface with technology, and Soso have been working on an innovative brain computer interface (BCI) device called Brainno. The low-cost headset(BRAINNO) measures two kinds of brainwaves simply by sitting on a user's forehead. This is also used for brainwave games and applications which are effective in brain fitness.

Why is it in the list? The program has already been tried in schools, designed to help children focus on tasks and exercise the part of the brain involved in concentration. It has also helped patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and ADHD. It is indeed a great concept, and given the use cases there’s an exciting future ahead for the product and the company.

1. BallReady

What is it? BallReady is emulating the virtual presence of a dog owner. The device features all the ingredients to make a dog happy: a bowl for food, a ball to play with and speakers to hear his owner's voice. The owner can see what's going on with the integrated camera. When the dog wants to play, it just needs to put a ball in the device, and the master can activate a launch remotely and see the dog play over the webcam.

 Why is it in the list? This product tops the chart in terms of innovation. And given the fact how flawlessly it functions, one can count on it for the safety and entertainment of their pets.

This is part-1 of the list of 14 most promising mobile innovations from South Korea. Watch this space for part-2.