Robotics and Physical AI

What is this research area about?

The transition from purely virtual AI systems to physically acting machines lies at the heart of our research. The focus is on the interface where artificial intelligence merges with real, tangible robotics, thereby becoming an active part of everyday human life.

We investigate the technological foundations necessary to enable robots to possess robust perception, reliable decision-making capabilities and adaptive interaction. At the same time, we explore the societal, social and application-related aspects of seamless collaboration between humans and intelligent machines.

Particular attention is paid to topics such as cooperative and social interaction, multimodal perception, safe human–robot collaboration, and the integration of robots into complex environments, such as the home, the care sector or clinical settings. Our expertise encompasses both methodological development — for example, in the areas of perception, interaction and embodiment — and an interdisciplinary examination of the impact that the use of such systems has on everyday life, work and society.