idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The Technical University of Darmstadt is expanding its portfolio of large-scale interdisciplinary research equipment with a special addition: the state-of-the-art humanoid robot ‘TALOS’. There are currently only five other research centres in the world with such a robot, and Darmstadt's TALOS is the only one in Germany. Its arrival today also marked the launch of the new Laboratory for Humanoid Robotics.
As part of Professor Jan Peters' Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group, the Laboratory for Humanoid Robotics will provide a platform for researching the interactions between motor skills, cognitive perception and human-robot interaction. For these research projects, TU Darmstadt has now acquired TALOS, a 1.75 metre tall and 95 kilogramme humanoid - i.e. human-like - robot from Pal Robotics. It can lift six kilograms per outstretched arm, climb stairs, walk on uneven terrain, manipulate objects with its gripping hands and work together with human and mechanical colleagues. Another important feature for research with TALOS is torque control, which allows it to control its forces.
The team headed by laboratory manager Dr Oleg Arenz wants to use the robot for basic research into learning problems at various levels. The Robot offers unique prerequisites for this because it can perform particularly versatile tasks: Unlike other humanoids, it can walk while handling heavy objects and tools, is equipped with a large number of sensors, as well as impressive computing power, which is further enhanced by an integrated AI accelerator. This enables it to plan and execute even complex sequences. The motors and sensors built into the joints and the torque control also allow it to carry out movements precisely and smoothly. Arenz and his team are particularly interested in the interaction between hardware-based motor control and abstract thinking using artificial intelligence.
At the inauguration of the Humanoid Robotics Laboratory, TALOS demonstrated some of its capabilities and gave an insight into future research topics in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive science and robotics.
The Computer Science department groups of Simulation, Systems Optimization and Robotics led by Prof. Oskar von Stryk, Interactive Robot Perception & Learning led by Prof. Georgia Chalvatzaki and the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Lab led by Prof. Kristian Kersting are also involved in the lab. Also involved are the Control and Cyber-Physical Systems Laboratory of Prof Dr Rolf Findeisen at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, the Sports Biomechanics group of Prof Dr André Seyfarth and the Psychology of Information Processing Lab of Prof Constantin A. Rothkopf at the Department of Human Sciences.
The acquisition costs of around 1.8 million euros for TALOS, its future expansion components for greater agility and dynamics, and the laboratory equipment are being funded in equal parts by TU Darmstadt and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
About TU Darmstadt
TU Darmstadt is one of Germany’s leading technical universities and a synonym for excellent, relevant research. We are crucially shaping global transformations – from the energy transition via Industry 4.0 to artificial intelligence – with outstanding insights and forward-looking study opportunities.
TU Darmstadt pools its cutting-edge research in three fields: Energy and Environment, Information and Intelligence, Matter and Materials. Our problem-based interdisciplinarity as well as our productive interaction with society, business and politics generate progress towards sustainable development worldwide.
Since we were founded in 1877, we have been one of Germany’s most international universities; as a European technical university, we are developing a trans-European campus in the network, Unite! With our partners in the alliance of Rhine-Main universities – Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz – we further the development of the metropolitan region Frankfurt-Rhine-Main as a globally attractive science location.
www.tu-darmstadt.de
Oleg Arenz, Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group, TU Darmstadt: oleg.arenz@tu-darmstadt.de; +49-6151-16-20074
https://www.bildermedien.tu-darmstadt.de/fotoweb/albums/Z8Gf75YhAvOXxovZ/ Photos
Criteria of this press release:
Business and commerce, Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students, Teachers and pupils, all interested persons
Electrical engineering, Information technology, Psychology, Sport science
transregional, national
Research projects
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
