Kochi | LG Soft India, the research and development arm of home appliances manufacturer LG Electronics, has partnered with the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) to set up an advanced smart home technology research laboratory on the university campus here, the varsity has said.

This joint initiative aims to address the critical challenges facing the rapidly expanding smart home segment, according to a CUSAT press release.

According to university officials, with funding support of Rs one crore over three years, CUSAT will establish the research lab and provide the necessary academic and technical resources.

"The Rs one crore funding over three years will enable CUSAT to establish the lab and research support," Santhosh Kumar G, Professor in Computer Science and Director of the Centre for Information Resource Management at CUSAT, said.

The research lab will focus on developing solutions to overcome connectivity barriers within the smart home ecosystem by enabling seamless communication among diverse Internet of Things (IoT) devices, regardless of manufacturer, it said.

"By addressing this issue of fragmentation, the lab seeks to ensure a unified and reliable smart home experience. In addition, the collaboration will leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to bring a new level of intelligence to the home environment, creating systems that can proactively anticipate user needs, automate tasks, and deliver an intuitive, personalised experience," the release said.

According to the university, the partnership combines LG Soft India's extensive industry expertise in product development and innovation with the academic strength and research capabilities of CUSAT.

It represents a significant step toward building connected and intelligent living spaces that are both efficient and user-friendly, CUSAT officials added.