Social AI lab, Robotics lab, Green lab, Systems Security lab. Some of our researchers are also part of the Cultural AI lab and Civic AI lab.
This is a multifunctional space for research, education and experimentation that offers excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Koen Hindriks, is working with his Social AI research group to make robots more socially intelligent and to make robot-human interaction feel more natural.
SAIL’s focus on social interaction makes it unique in the Netherlands. The lab encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and is open to everyone. Its approach is already resulting in valuable collaborations, not least with theatre makers. Hindriks explains, “Theatre makers know how to connect with an audience, and what body language can reveal about us. We can harness these insights to develop robots that recognize emotions and are therefore better able to understand us humans.” And that’s not all: SAIL will also be providing workstations and workspace for educational purposes.
To read more, click here: Social AI lab
The robots in this lab have not been designed by humans, but by mutation and ‘crossing’ one robot with another. Successive generations then become capable of refining their skills and grow smarter through learning by doing. This gives rise to the best robots for executing particular tasks.
The lab is primarily intended for scientists and students at VU Amsterdam working in the field of AI. But colleagues and students from related research fields and degree programmes – such as software engineers and computer science students – are also welcome. From 15 July, a lab manager will be on hand to guide them. Close collaboration will also take place with experts from other disciplines, such as biologists and ethicists. For them, too, robot evolution is a particularly interesting field.
To read more, click here: Green lab
Systems Security lab
Some of our researchers are also part of the Cultural AI lab and Civic AI lab.