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In addition to research in artificial intelligence, DFKI specializes in the fields of robotics, Industry 4.0 and driver assistance systems. In a joint project, Volkswagen and DFKI have therefore started to develop the software framework ROCK further to allow direct, close cooperation between human beings and robots. The system was presented in a near-production scenario at the Volkswagen AG IT Symposium 2016. Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

Wolfsburg, Germany - May 13, 2016

• Board of Management Chairman Müller: "An investment in our future"

• Company forges ahead with key technologies for autonomous driving and the digital factory

• Key topics: artificial intelligence, machine learning

Volkswagen is participating in the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the world's largest and most renowned scientific institution specializing in artificial intelligence (AI).

By acquiring a stake in DFKI, the Volkswagen Group is reinforcing its research activities in the field of future-oriented digital technologies.

Matthias Müller
Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG,
with responsibility for 'Group Research and Development',
with responsibility for 'Group Production',
with responsibility for 'Sales and Marketing',
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

"Artificial intelligence is a key technology for autonomous driving and therefore an investment in our future," says Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group.
"In future, our participation will allow us to work even more intensively in this area. We want to forge ahead with AI research in the automotive industry and beyond. We also expect our participation in DFKI to provide new impetus for the digitalization of our plants and the continuing automation of corporate processes."

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster, Technical and Scientific Managing Director, CEO of DFKI.
Photo courtesy of DFKI

"Through its participation in DFKI, Volkswagen will gain access to the latest results and know-how of our research center, especially from our recently established Deep Learning Competence Center," Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster, CEO of DFKI, emphasized.
"I am very pleased that will be able to contribute this knowledge to joint projects. For both parties, this represents a great opportunity to make further progress in the field of AI."

The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence is a leading research institute in the field of artificial intelligence.
Photo courtesy of DFKI

In addition to research in artificial intelligence, DFKI specializes in the fields of robotics, Industry 4.0 and driver assistance systems.

In a joint project, Volkswagen and DFKI have therefore started to develop the software framework ROCK further to allow direct, close cooperation between human beings and robots.

The system was presented in a near-production scenario at the Volkswagen AG IT Symposium 2016.

Key features include the measurement of ambient conditions using several sensors, collision detection and avoidance as well as intuitive gesture control.

Volkswagen and DFKI have cooperated on projects with and without public support for many years.
The results of this cooperation include, for example, the prototype of a smart car seat that can detect driver fatigue.

By acquiring a share in DFKI, Volkswagen has intensified the existing cooperation.

At the symposium, IT representatives presented a new form of intelligent human-robot cooperation which could be applied in production in a few years' time.
For the first time, a new sensor configuration which can be combined in a modular way allows genuine cooperation between people and robots.
The system can be operated intuitively using gestures, records ambient conditions using a combination of sensors and avoids collisions independently.
This exhibit is a key step on the way to artificial intelligence in production.
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

Volkswagen will appoint a member to the DFKI Supervisory Board and play an active role in shaping the Center's technology and research roadmap.
This will accelerate the transfer of innovations from high-level research to society and industry.

About the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence

The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence is a leading research institute in the field of artificial intelligence.

In terms of number of employees and the volume of external funds (€42.5 million in 2015), it is the largest research center in the world in this field.

DFKI Management
(from left to right) Prof. Dr. Paul Lukowicz, Prof. Dr. Antonio Krueger, Prof. Dr. Rolf Drechsler, Prof. Dr. Peter Loos, Prof. Dr. Josef van Genabith, Prof. Dr. Philipp Slusallek, Prof. Dr. Andreas Dengel, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster, Prof. Dr. Joachim Hertzberg, Prof. Dr. Detlef Zuehlke, Prof. Dr. Hans Usckoreit, Dr. Walter Olthoff, Prof. Dr. Didier Stricker, Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchner.
The DFKI management consist of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster (Technical and Scientific Managing Director, CEO) and Dr. Walter Olthoff (CFO).
Photo courtesy of DFKI

More than 750 employees from over 60 countries are currently working on new software solutions, especially in the fields of machine learning, autonomous systems, robotics, data analysis, virtual reality and intelligent factory systems.

Sources:

Volkswagen Group

http://www.volkswagenag.com/

DFKI

http://www.dfki.de/

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