[Future Tech] Dare to be Different: Pioneering for ‘Life’s Good’ at LG Labs

An innovator at heart and pioneer of future technologies, LG has never been afraid of thinking outside the box. Aiming to foster an environment where employees are given freedom to venture beyond the conventional and explore new and bold ideas shaping the next trends in tech, the company conceived LG Labs to focus on creating outside-the-box products and services that offer unique customer experiences and value.

LG Labs is LG’s new marketing platform established to deliver experimental and innovative product and service experiences to its customers. This setup, unique within LG, has already given birth to some truly original inventions.

In this edition of Future Tech, we take a close look at two of the novel LG Labs solutions that wowed visitors at this year’s CES: brid.zzz and pluspot.

brid.zzz: Smart Bedroom With Mind Wellness Solutions

Quality slumber will work wonders for both mind and body, which is why Sleepwave company, LG’s CIC and an active contributor to LG Labs, sought to create a mind wellness solution. Say hello to brid.zzz.

At the core of brid.zzz are a set of wireless earbuds and an application offering content that induces brainwave to improve mental health and sleep quality. The device monitors users’ brainwaves in real time via its unique technology and combines them with data about their life patterns recorded on smartphones which enables the offering of a more personalized solution for mind care and sleep care.

“We focused on those who suffer from stress, anxiety and insomnia,” explained Noh Seung-pyo, CIC head of LG’s Sleepwave company. “With unprecedented mind wellness solution, we aim to present new brand experiences to customers.”

Uniquely, brid.zzz utilizes static binaural beat where a fixed frequency is continuously repeated and dynamic binaural beat developed by LG where two tones with slightly different frequencies are played simultaneously, one in each ear, creating the perception of a third tone. Using both static and dynamic binaural beats contribute to inducing brainwave for relaxation and sound sleep with frequency adjusted to the user’s state that changes in real-time. Also, the application for the device boasts two modes – mind care and sleep care – and about 90 different kinds of content including lullabies and ASMR that can be played with static and dynamic binaural beats, improving the overall experience with brid.zzz.

“The process of developing brid.zzz wasn’t easy, but we were determined to make a real change in addressing mind wellness,” said Noh. “That’s what the LG Labs project is all about, pursuing innovation to change the world for a better future.”

pluspot: Making Personal Transportation Safe, Convenient and Responsible

Electric bikes and scooters have become ubiquitous in recent years with the remarkable growth of the ride sharing industry powered by the  active use by millions of people worldwide.

To allow more customers to enjoy the convenience of personal mobility devices, LG’s mobility-service CIC, CurrentDot company, sought to transform people’s view of rent-to-use e-bikes and scooters from solutions that are simply used and forgotten about, to solutions that all users have an obligation to manage properly.

“We tend to only take responsibility for these vehicles while we’re riding them,” explained Do Won-dong, CIC head of LG’s CurrentDot company. “But what about afterwards? What do we do with them once we’ve gotten to our destination? This was CurrentDot’s main concern and why we wanted to create a solution that would benefit everyone, from users to pedestrians and the environment as well.”

A for-free e-scooter charging station service platform, CurrentDot’s pluspot promotes safer and more responsible parking by helping people find nearby stations, and by offering a variety of fun rewards for using them. The service combines highly efficient charging stations utilizing cutting-edge technologies and an easy and entertaining-to-use mobile app for a convenient, enjoyable experience.

Users can quickly access the closest charging stations to them via the pluspot app. Parking earns them points that can then be exchanged for items at select retail chains. In this way, pluspot can extend the mobility experience – transforming a quick pitstop into an exciting neighborhood adventure. Thanks to its simple-to-use charging stations, the platform also makes e-mobility vehicles easier to find and access – which can ultimately help people minimize their personal carbon emissions.

LG Labs’ unique organizational structure played an important role in the making of pluspot. “LG’s full support is what helped us scale up in such a short time,” said Do. “Operating in a flexible environment, it was easier to speed up the process that led to the launching of pluspot.” First launched in Suwon, South Korea, the platform will be expanding to other regions throughout the country including Sejong and Ulsan within this year.

We can only create a better future when we drive beyond boundaries. Every day, the pioneers and creative thinkers at LG Labs pursue bold innovation, thinking outside the box and going above and beyond to make sure Life’s Good. For more on the future technologies presented by LG Labs, stay tuned for the next episode in the Future Tech series.