How to get robots to learn from experience

Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are two areas that are currently being researched particularly intensively. The University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna set up its own laboratory for this last year. The AI & VR Lab is with powerful servers, Virtual-Reality-Headsetsone robot and other hardware and software to advance research projects in the areas.

Emphasis on industry and medicine

“We have a wide range of different activities in different disciplines at the FH, such as computer science and digital communications, nursing science, health engineering, political science, civil engineering, high-tech manufacturing. In the AI ​​& VR Lab, people from all these areas can work together on projects ” says Mugdim Bublin. He has the Endowed Professorship for Artificial Intelligence of the City of Vienna and heads the laboratory.

A focus of the research in the AI ​​& VR Lab should be on industry and medicine lay. According to Bublin, there is such a thing in these areas greatest potential for synergies: “We have a strong medical part at the FH and on the other hand a lot of know-how in industrial production. There are many opportunities for cooperation. With research in these areas we can also support small and medium-sized companies well.”

Less waste with 3D printing

With the High Tech Manufacturing department, the AI ​​& VR Lab is working on the Process monitoring for 3D printing processes by means of artificial intelligence. “With deep learning, we can detect errors in the process, intervene in certain parameters and thus reduce the waste rate, improve process quality and increase energy efficiency,” explains Bublin.

Robots as colleagues

Another project in the industrial sector is “CobHob”. It is about human-robot cooperation. “We’re researching how to make a robot Teach tasks with deep learning without having to program it,” says Bublin. In the past, industrial robots were mostly kept in cages separated from people, but now they are increasingly expected to work in close proximity to people observation and feedback robots should now learn from experience.

The challenge is robots doing one certain degree of flexibility to rent. “It’s time-consuming, but important when it comes to slightly changing tasks or the environment suddenly different if there is different lighting or other components are used.” The goal is to teach the robot how to optimally perform different tasks under different environmental parameters.

Sensor pen against writing weakness

In the medical field, the AI ​​& VR Lab took part in the “Sensogrip“, a high-tech pen designed to help treat children’s dyslexia. Built-in sensors can accurately log writes as you interprets signals with artificial intelligence and therapists provides precise analyses.

Do exercises correctly at home

Another project is called “Active Feedback”. It’s about supporting physical therapy through Analysis of exercisesthat patients should carry out at home. “In their bachelor’s theses, students worked on digitally recording exercises and providing meaningful feedback by evaluating camera images,” says Bublin. Among other things, mobile phone cameras were used, but also settings with several cameras and three-dimensional recording of movement sequences.

The AI ​​& VR Lab is open to students. You have the opportunity to try different ideas in it. I already have that Creation of start-ups guided. One of them deals with the development of a rescue robot for fire or disaster operations. “But practically any of these projects can be turned into a start-up,” Bublin is convinced.

AI as an assistant to humans, not a substitute

It is important to the head of the AI ​​& VR Lab that artificial intelligence is always available Expanding people’s abilities use, not as a substitute for human labor: “AI should be a tool that helps people to do their jobs better.” For the further development of AI, it is crucial to build know-how and to mediate. “If you use AI without involving people who know it well, the quality of products and services suffers.”

Also for AI applications that are currently very popular, such as ChatGPT that’s true. “ChatGPT’s achievements are great,” says Bublin, “but these programs have a lot of restrictionsthat must be taken into account. That’s often forgotten.”