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Welcome to the Institute for Artificial Intelligence!
The Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IAI) directed by Prof. Michael Beetz is part of the Faculty of Computer Science and member of the Center for Computing and Communication Technologies (TZI) at the University of Bremen.
AI-Based Robotics in the Cloud with the Virtual Research Building - Hands-on Workshop at GRC 2026
We will be present at the German Robotics Conference (GRC) 2026 in Cologne with a hands-on workshop titled “AI-Based Robotics in the Cloud with the Virtual Research Building.”
In this tutorial, we introduce the Virtual Research Building (VRB) as a cloud-based platform for AI-driven robotics research and experimentation.
The workshop is explicitly hands-on: attendees are invited to bring their own laptops and actively try out the demonstrated concepts. We will cover:
- The core concepts behind the Virtual Research Building
- What virtual labs are and how they can be used to model, run, and analyze robotic experiments
- How to use and interact with existing virtual labs remotely
- How to edit existing labs or create new ones
- How to integrate your own lab setups and robot models into the lab
The goal is to give participants a concrete, practical understanding of how cloud-based robotics experimentation can be set up, customized, and extended.
In addition to the hands-on tutorial, the session will include two invited talks:
- Prof. Michael Beetz (Uni Bremen):
- Cloud-based digital twins for AI-driven robotics: Key advantages and potential applications
- Prof. Uwe Aßmann (TU Dresden):
- The Test Infrastructure of the Smart Mobility Lab of TU Dresden as Part of the RIG Virtual Research Building
These talks provide context and concrete examples of how cloud-based digital twins and large-scale test infrastructures are integrated into the VRB ecosystem.
Technical requirements: All interaction with the VRB takes place directly in the browser, so no special software installation is required. To obtain and manage the provided example material, having git installed is recommended. For more convenient local development, building, and testing of labs, docker and docker compose may additionally be useful.
Important: Participation in the workshop (WS6) requires separate registration and is not included in the regular GRC conference ticket. Registration details can be found here (reduced student fee available): https://robotics-institute-germany.de/grc-registration/
Limited spots available. Early registration is recommended!
Workshop organizers: Dr. Mareike Picklum, Malte Huerkamp, Luca Krohm, Dr. Benjamin Alt, Andre Meixner, Dr. Jonas Kiemel, Prof. Dr. Alexander König
TwinSpace project starting in January 2026
Beginning in January 2026, we will be partners in the TwinSpace project, coordinated by Prof. Michael Beetz in collaboration with Prof. David May from the Faserinstitut Bremen (FIBRE). It is funded by the MATENA innovate! Center and the MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes.
TwinSpace will develop an intelligent robotic system for manufacturing lightweight aerospace components using Automated Fiber Placement (AFP). This will reduce production costs and increase energy efficiency. The key innovation from our institute: semantic digital twins that merge physics-based simulations with AI. They enable real-time process simulations, cutting costly trial runs and making production faster, more robust, and more sustainable.
Our contribution to this year's Informatica Feminale
Women face unique challenges in computer science, a field that has been designed for men for too long, and where women are still underrepresented. Although information technology has been with us for a long time and artificial intelligence is now rapidly finding its way into more and more areas of life, there seem to be few efforts at a professional level to integrate the diverse interests of women into computer science.
Instead, computer science as a discipline still tends to be oriented towards the traditionally male-dominated worlds of experience in everyday life and work, resulting in products and applications geared predominantly towards men. As a result, computer science threatens to remain an unattractive area for women, where they do not see themselves represented.
Webinar on "The innovative Virtual Research Building (VRB) for AI-powered and cognition-enabled robotics"
𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲! We are taking part in AI Month mAI by Rise of AI (ki-deutschland.de) and cordially invite you to the upcoming event. One month. One mission. Make AI accessible.
A recap of the AI Innovation Made in Bremen event
On April 9th, we had the opportunity to host the “TZI Roadshow: KI Innovation made in Bremen” event in our facilities. The event kicked off with inspiring welcome speeches from the University of Bremen’s Chancellor, Frauke Meyer, and Bremen’s Senator for Environment, Climate, and Science, Kathrin Moosdorf. Both highlighted the transformative impact of AI, especially its potential to revolutionize the Bremen region.
Prof. Dr. hc. Michael Beetz PhD
Head of Institute
Contact via
Andrea Cowley
assistant to Prof. Beetz
ai-office@cs.uni-bremen.de
Discover our VRB for innovative and interactive research
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