Thursday Morning Talk

Dustin Lehmann, Fritz Francisco, Jorg Raisch, Pawel Romanczuk (Science of Intelligence), “Dynamical adaptation and learning: Knowledge transfer and cooperative learning in groups of heterogeneous agents”

Abstract:  In groups of agents learning how to solve a common task, interaction and knowledge transfer between agents is important and can vary depending on network topology. Heterogeneity is one of the key principles that influences the type and quality of interaction between learning agents. Different learning strategies and behaviors can be a driving factor

Thursday Morning Talk

David Garzón Ramos (Université Libre de Bruxelles), “Automatic design of robot swarms: context and experiments”

Abstract: Swarm robotics is a promising approach to the coordination of large groups of robots. Traditionally, the design of collective behaviors for robot swarms has been an iterative manual process: a human designer manually refines the control software of the individual robots until the desired collective behavior emerges. In this talk, I discuss automatic design

Distinguished Speaker Series

Ingmar Posner (University of Oxford), “Learning to Perceive and to Act – Disentangling Tales from (Structured) Latent Space”

Abstract: Unsupervised learning is experiencing a renaissance. Driven by an abundance of unlabelled data and the advent of deep generative models, machines are now able to synthesise complex images, videos and sounds. In robotics, one of the most promising features of these models - the ability to learn structured latent spaces - is gradually gaining

Thursday Morning Talk

Scott Robins (Bonn University), “What Machines Shouldn’t Do”

Abstract: From writing essays to evaluating potential hires, machines are doing a lot these days. In all spheres of life, it seems that machines are being delegated more and more decisions. Some of these machines are being delegated decisions that could have significant impact on human lives.Examples of such machines which have caused such impact

Lars Lewejohann (Science of Intelligence), “What’s on a mouse’s mind? Behavioral measures to understand experiences and needs of an animal”

MAR 2.057

Lars Lewejohann, Freie Universität Berlin, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) Mice, like all other living creatures, have adapted to specific living conditions in the course of evolution. From a human point of view, the behavior of animals is therefore not always easy to understand.

Thursday Morning Talk

Andreagiovanni Reina (Université Libre de Bruxelles), “The power of inhibition for collective decision making in minimalistic robot swarms”

Abstract: I investigate how large groups of simple robots can reach a consensus with decentralized minimalistic algorithms. Simple robots can be useful in nanorobotics and in scenarios with low-cost requirements. I show that through decentralized voting algorithms, swarms of minimalistic robots can make best-of-n decisions. In my research, I show that using a biologically-inspired voting

Thursday Morning Talk

Oliver Brock (Science of Intelligence), “About the Interplay of Embodiment and Learning in Intelligent Systems”

MAR 2.057

Abstract: Biological intelligent systems manifest their intelligence in physical interactions with other agents and with their environment. Such interactions require embodiment. Intelligence, both artificial and biological, also requires some kind of learning. But what is the relationship between the two? How should the two interact? Do they even have to? What could be a common

Thursday Morning Talk

Ryan Burnell, “A Cognitive Approach to the Evaluation of AI Systems”

Abstract: The capabilities of AI systems are improving rapidly, and these systems are being deployed in increasingly complex and high-stakes contexts, from self-driving cars to the detection of medical conditions. As the importance of AI grows, so too does the need for robust evaluation. If we want to determine the extent to which systems are

Thursday Morning Talk

Judith L. Bronstein (University of Arizona), “Why Cooperate with Another Species? The Puzzles of Mutualism”

Abstract: The classic view of nature is one of a deathly struggle for existence. Yet, throughout nature, organisms cooperate with each other. Mutualisms – mutually beneficial interactions between species - are more than fascinating natural history stories: they are central to the diversity and the diversification of life on Earth. Charles Darwin, well aware of

Thursday Morning Talk

Dr. Arlena Jung, “Time Management & Resilience”

Abstract: In this talk, Dr. Jung will focus on the three key principles of good time management: defining priorities, managing expectations and developing routines that work. Following the lecture, the participants have the opportunity to discuss their time management challenges in an individual coaching session. Defining Priorities: Dealing with high performance expectations in wide array

Thursday Morning Talk

Marah Halawa (Science of Intelligence), “Contrastive Learning Approaches for Computer Vision Applications”

Abstract: The recent success in Computer Vision has been mostly attributed to improved results using deep learning models trained on large labeled datasets. Many of these datasets have been labeled by humans. The labeling process, however, can be time-consuming, and in many applications, it may require expertise that could be costly to acquire. In order