AiRET S9 : 지능형 신발 큐레이터

Background Problem: Shoes are worn all day and exposed to sweat and contaminants, making them a breeding ground for bacteria and bad odors. However, most home shoe closets are difficult to ventilate and manage, making hygiene problems easy to neglect. In addition, outdoor pollutants and fine dust often get on shoes and enter the house, highlighting the need for hygiene management at the entryway.

Limitations of Existing Methods: Traditionally, shoe care has relied on deodorizers, UV sterilizers, or individual manual washing. Recently, some home appliance companies have released shoe care devices (so-called shoe stylers), but these are only partial solutions that require users to operate them manually and are not linked to other smart home devices. In addition, these existing products help remove shoe odors but are limited in terms of indoor air quality management or automated operation.

Fully Automated & Zero-Touch Experience: AiRET S9 implements fully automatic unmanned management that requires no user intervention. Simply put the shoes in, and the vision AI automatically determines the material and condition of the shoes and performs the optimal sterilization, drying, and deodorizing cycle. Users can enjoy a true zero-touch experience where "all you have to do is put your shoes in."

Wellness Hub for the Entrance Space: Beyond a simple shoe care device, it has transformed the entrance space into a wellness gateway for the entire home environment. For example, the moment a user returns home, it senses not only the contamination status of the shoes but also harmful indoor substances such as TVOCs, and links with a smart air purifier or ventilation system to immediately form a "clean zone" indoors. The integrated function of caring for shoes and managing indoor air quality at the same time is a strength not found in similar products.

Privacy-Oriented Edge AI: To fundamentally block concerns about privacy invasion when an AI camera watches the indoor entrance, an on-device AI structure is adopted that processes all video analysis within the device. Video is not transmitted to an external server, which increases security, and local AI processing also improves response speed. The differentiation focuses on "making it unnecessary for the user to worry," rather than emphasizing technical specifications.

Decision Makers for Purchase: Smart home-oriented households are the main target among general consumers. In particular, consumers who are sensitive to hygiene (homes with children, homes where pets go out frequently, etc.) or who seek convenience in luxury living spaces will be interested. In addition, there is a possibility that it will be adopted as a premium service in high-end offices or membership fitness centers.

B2C/B2B/B2G Classification: Basically, it is a B2C home appliance. However, B2B utilization is also possible for installation in corporate lobbies or VIP lounges (e.g., golf courses, offices, etc. where shoes are changed). Functions such as interlocking with air conditioning systems through the entrance can also be expanded into smart building solutions, so a B2B2C model is also envisioned.

Environmental/Regulatory Restrictions: As an indoor installation in the entrance, there are no special regulatory restrictions, but privacy protection design has already been applied to minimize personal information issues caused by the use of cameras and AI sensors. This part is rather regulation-friendly. However, as an IoT device, standard certifications such as radio wave certification and electrical safety certification must be obtained before product release, which is not a major obstacle.

Market Scalability: Targeting the universal demand for shoe care and indoor air management at the same time, there is global market potential, especially in developed countries with high smart home penetration rates. In particular, Asian countries are familiar with entrance management solutions due to the cultural characteristic of taking off shoes indoors, making market entry easy. In the future, it can be expanded to service spaces such as hotels or places where hygiene is important such as medical facilities as a specialized model, so scalability is high.

Background for Innovation Award: As a CES 2026 Innovation Award Honoree in the Smart Home category, it was highly evaluated for expanding the scope of existing home appliances. In particular, the product philosophy that *"creates a pleasant environment as soon as you enter the house"* has been praised as a good representation of the future of smart homes.

Technological Maturity: The ability to implement comprehensive technologies such as Vision AI-based shoe identification and multi-device interlocking is impressive, and based on the announced explanation, it seems to have already achieved a level of completion beyond a prototype. On the other hand, there is also a view that AI recognition malfunction rates and maintenance convenience should be verified in actual user experience.

Market Expectations: By presenting a new concept of *"smart home appliance exclusively for shoes,"* it has attracted market interest, and investors and industry attention are focused on the idea of making the entrance a smart home hub. However, due to the price sensitivity characteristic of the smart home field, there is also a realistic point that popularization will require reasonable pricing and after-sales support.

Overestimated/Underestimated Factors: Some believe that securing channels and marketing are key as a late-starting startup, given the trend of large companies also releasing shoe care devices. However, there is also an opinion that AiRET S9's unique home IoT interlocking advantage is clear and should not be underestimated. Overall, it is giving a positive impression to the judges as a product with both innovation and practicality.