HUN-REN Plans to Jump On The Humanoid Robotics Ship

A research group specializing in humanoid robotics is starting work at the Research Institute for Computer Science and Control (SZTAKI) of the Hungarian Research Network HUN-REN. It is building on expertise in the automotive industry and manufacturing, as well as experience in AI and autonomous systems, László Palkovics, AI government commissioner, announced on Monday in Budapest.

At a press conference at the research institute, the government commissioner emphasized that Hungary is in a position to serve the global robotics boom. He noted that according to forecasts, the market for humanoid robots is poised for explosive growth, in which Hungary also wants to participate. The government has decided to create an economic environment in Hungary in which humanoid and quadrupedal robots that live in the human environment can be developed and manufactured, and to provide the testing environment for this, explained László Palkovics, who called SZTAKI “the leading research institution and the most important research institute in Hungary.”

Palkovics pointed out that

Hungary spends as much on research and development in the automotive industry as the Czech Republic and Austria in terms of GDP.

The Hungarian automotive industry occupies a prominent position worldwide, and the experience gained from automotive research and development can also be put to good use in the field of robotics. This justifies the government’s goal, according to the government representative.

“In our research laboratory for engineering and business intelligence, we have so far focused primarily on autonomous industrial robotics and collaborative robots. Our latest robot measurement solution, which is now in use in five countries, was awarded the Academic Patent Prize this year. The establishment of the new research group is a logical step that presents new challenges for our existing knowledge base—and our tools such as the Unitree humanoid robot or the robot dogs from Boston Dynamics,” added SZTAKI Director General László Monostori.

He also pointed out that SZTAKI coordinates the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems (ARNL) and the Artificial Intelligence National Laboratory (MILAB), which have been conducting world-leading research in robotics, sensor technology, and autonomous control for years. Monostori made it clear that humanoid robotics is an area in which experience from the fields of industrial robotics, autonomous systems, system and control theory, artificial intelligence, and the associated environmental perception can be pooled and utilized.

Humanoid robotics is an interface between mechanical engineering, computer science, and control theory.

The knowledge gathered at SZTAKI’s National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems (ARNL) enables us to research not only the movements of robots, but also their environmental perception and autonomous decision-making at a world-class level, emphasized József Bokor, scientific director of SZTAKI. He added that the goal is for these devices to perform their tasks safely and efficiently in the future, not only in strictly controlled industrial environments, but also in collaboration with humans under real, changing conditions.

Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Purger Tamás