Virtual Research Building

Empowering Autonomy:

• The VRB and EASE initiatives develop robots that support everyday tasks, enhancing the autonomy of individuals, especially those with physical or cognitive limitations.
• Addresses societal challenges, including aging populations and workforce shortages, by providing assistive technologies.

Inclusion and Accessibility:

• Develops inclusive robotic solutions, adapting behaviors to diverse needs and cultural preferences.
• Enhances accessibility for the elderly, disabled, or those recovering from injuries, promoting independent living.

Quality of Life Enhancements

• Robots alleviate physical and mental burdens, improving well-being and enabling individuals to participate in household and societal activities.

Skill Development:

• Establishes immersive learning environments and interactive resources, such as the VRB and the interactive textbook on AI and cognition-enabled robotics.
• Provides immersive tools for future innovators.
• Offers interdisciplinary education combining robotics, AI, psychology, and ethics, preparing future leaders in the field.

Global Knowledge Sharing:

• Provides open access to tools and resources, promoting global collaboration and education in robotics.
• Encourages skill development across borders, bridging gaps between academia and industry.

Pioneering Co-Construction:

• Advances human-robot interaction with a focus on co-construction, where robots and humans collaboratively complete tasks.
• Incorporates cognitive psychology and neuroscience insights into AI systems for dynamic task handling.

Open and Reproducible Science:

• VRB enables researchers to conduct, replicate, and refine experiments remotely, ensuring reproducibility and transparency.

Integration of Generative AI:

• Leverages generative AI and machine learning to enhance robot adaptability and understanding of open-world scenarios.

Digital Twin Implementation:

• The VRB serves as a digital twin of physical labs, enabling comprehensive testing, simulation, and innovation.

Scalable and Modular Systems:

• Focuses on developing scalable solutions using advanced modular designs for cognitive systems.

CRAM Architecture:

• Builds on the CRAM (Cognitive Robot Abstract Machine) to enable robots to reason, adapt, and act in real-world environments.

Industry-Academic Synergy:

• Establishes partnerships with global industry leaders to translate research into real-world solutions.

Commercial Applications:

• Collaborations with companies like UBICA and ArtiMinds integrate EASE technologies into practical use cases, such as retail digital twins and robotics for industrial applications.

Economic Growth:

• Drives innovation in assistive technologies and robotics, with significant implications for industries like caregiving, retail, and automation.

Sustainability:

• Reduces reliance on physical prototyping with virtual testing, minimizing environmental impact.
• Incorporates energy-efficient designs in robotics development and sustainable data management practices.

Ethical Robotics:

• Implements ethics-by-design frameworks focusing on privacy, safety, and autonomy.
• Ensures robots align with societal values, supporting equitable and ethical access to technology.

Global Leadership:

• Positions the University of Bremen and EASE as international leaders in cognition-enabled robotics research and education