New lab develops robots that understand humans

Khaldon Araffa, a postdoc researcher at TU Delft, leverages Mirte in his "Invest in Young Talent" initiative, conducting workshops to spark student interest in robotics. His efforts aim to prepare young learners for technological futures by providing hands-on robotics experiences at schools and libraries, continuing a mission started in Ukraine in 2006.

The Cognitive Robotics (CoR) lab at TU Delft, launched on April 17, 2024, advances robotics that intelligently interact with humans. Focused on healthcare, industry, horticulture, and retail applications, the lab showcases projects that enhance human-robot cooperation. Innovations include a Mobile Robotics Lab, where robots learn to navigate human environments, and an autonomous vehicle simulator in partnership with Toyota, exploring human reactions to AI-driven transportation.

Noteworthy is the development of a shopping robot with Ahold-Delhaize, designed to handle real-world retail environments by adapting to obstacles and retrieving items autonomously. Additionally, educational outreach is emphasized through the Mirte robot, developed by Martin Klomp for use across educational levels, supporting programming from basic block coding to advanced ROS applications.

For more details on the lab's projects and educational initiatives, please refer to the full article available here.

https://delta.tudelft.nl/article/nieuw-lab-ontwikkelt-robots-die-mensen-begrijpen