munich_i— the newly created platform for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI)—will celebrate its premiere at automatica sprint from June 22 to 24, 2021. In addition to the high-tech summit, munich_i also features the digital AI.Society exhibition as well as the Robothon® developer competition and the robot driver’s license. All elements are presented in a digital format.
For the joint project of munich_i, Messe München and the Munich School of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MSRM) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) work in close cooperation. According to Falk Senger, Managing Director Messe München and responsible for automatica, this cooperation is a valuable contribution to social dialog: “The munich_i high-tech platform provides answers to relevant questions about responsible technological change and the use of AI and robotics in everyday life. That's why we are very pleased to introduce munich_i as part of automatica, i.e. this year's automatica sprint.”
munich_i high-tech summit connects science and business
The high-tech summit on June 22 is the centerpiece of munich_i. Under the slogan “intelligence empowering tomorrow”, experts from science and business will exchange ideas on the interaction of human and artificial intelligence in the areas of work, health and mobility.
Assistive robots and cobots with artificial intelligence will support people in the future. But how will such solutions change our work environments? What can we expect to see in hospitals and geriatrics ten years down the line?
Prof. Alena Buyx, co-directing munich_i together with Prof. Sami Haddadin, emphasizes the importance of ethical aspects in this context: “AI technology must be ethically and socially responsible and benefit both individuals and communities. To ensure that, ethics should be made an integral part of the research process. Sensible future regulations should also help realize potential and exploit opportunities while ensuring responsible implementation and risk minimization.”
In the sessions “Assisting the human”, “Connected world”, “Beyond human spaces”, “Building intelligence” and “Interaction of humans and robots”, renowned scientists and acclaimed industry representatives will provide insights into the latest technological developments and future standards. Speakers include:
• Dr. Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Vodafone Germany
• Prof. Jeannette Bohg, Stanford University
• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Grotepass, CSO Huawei Technologies Germany
• Prof. Dr. Marco Hutter, ETH Zürich
• Prof. Yoshihiko Nakamura, University of Tokyo
• Gurdeep Singh Pall, Corporate Vice President Microsoft USA
• Dr. Reinhard Ploss, Chairman of the Management Board Infineon Technologies
AI.Society showcases lighthouse projects and examples of artificial intelligence and robotics in the areas of work, health and mobility
The virtual AI.Society exhibition area clearly shows just how much AI and robotics have already become an integral part of everyday life. Around 30 use cases from TUM chairs, start-ups and partners from the greater Munich area will show real-life applications from June 22 to 24. This will give the general public access to these key technologies: How can we use AI and robotics to make our everyday work easier, safer and more productive in the future? Does embodied AI have the potential to optimize or even revolutionize assembly and production through applications at the interface between adaptive algorithms and machines? How can we use AI and robotics to meet today’s great challenges in the areas of health, mobility and work?
Robothon® developer competition identifies experts
munich_i initiates the Robothon® developer competition to ensure that creative minds will continue to work on innovative ideas for artificial intelligence and robotics. Initiator and munich_i Director Prof. Sami Haddadin explains the underlying motivation: “With their countless deployment scenarios and applications, robotics and machine intelligence are key components of our sustainable future. Our goal can only be to derive benefits from this technology across the entire value chain to the advantage of both society and the economy in Germany.”
In the run-up to automatica sprint, teams spend a month working on a current industry challenge in the fight against environmental pollution: How can the issue of dismantling and sorting electronic waste be solved and simplified using a robot? An independent panel of judges from science and business will award the winners on June 22 within the framework of the munich_i high-tech summit.
Robot driver’s license—the online workshop for young and old
As part of munich_i 2022, interested individuals can program a robot on site and obtain the munich_i robot driver’s license. There will be an interactive online workshop this year to provide a foretaste of this. Contents: an introduction to the world of robotics, practical exercises and demonstrations using current application examples. The workshop will be offered twice daily between June 22 and 24. Advance registration required, the number of participants is limited. Registration will be possible from the beginning of June at automatica-munich.com.
Participation in munich_i, consisting of the high-tech summit, the AI.Society virtual exhibition area as well as the Robothon® award ceremony and the robot driver’s license is included in the ticket for visitors to the automatica sprint digital platform. The event will be held in English.
