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Technische Universität Ilmenau

Company Profile

The research of the Department of Neuroinformatics and Cognitive Robotics is
focused on the development of behavior-oriented sensorimotor systems, especially
mobile robots, with lifelong learning capabilities to adapt perception and
behavioral control to changing environmental conditions. Behaviors considered
are especially from the areas of

  • visually guided mobile robot navigation and

  • multi-modal interaction between semi-autonomous agents and human users.


Against this background, the methodological research activities of the
department are focused on the following areas:



  • Evolution and organization of navigation- and interaction-behaviors in
    multi-modal Human-Robot systems

  • Probabilistic and neural techniques for mobile robot navigation,
    self-localization, and Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI)

  • Vision-based, non-verbal Human-Robot-Interaction by means of gestures,
    head and eye gaze, facial expression, and body language

  • On-line learning within the "Action-Perception Cycle" (Reinforcement
    Learning)

  • Life-long learning handling the Stability-Plasticity Dilemma

  • Dynamical organization of behaviors in Multi-Agent Systems (MAS)

  • Task-relevant visual and auditory attention

  • Generative character of perception - as internal simulation of
    hypothetical actions and anticipation of their sensory consequences


In the department's research, the following application fields are of
particular interest:



  • Autonomous and interaction-based robots in concrete "Real-World"-
    applications (Service robots, entertainment and education robots, etc.)

  • Vision-based Human-Machine-Interfaces (HMI) for interactive robots

  • Robust person detection, tracking and recognition in real-world
    video-data streams

  • Visually-guided, self-optimizing process control for combustion
    processes


The robotics equipment of the department consists of:



  • Three mobile robot SCITOS

  • One mobile robot PERSES (PERsonalSErvice System - based on a
    B21-platform)

  • Two mobile robots HOROS 1+2 (HOme RObot System - based on Pioneer
    II-platforms)

  • One mobile robot MILVA (Multi-sensory Intelligent Learning Vehicle with
    Autonomy)

  • Seven miniature robots KHEPERA