Application deadline March 31: Expert consultation for entry into AI and robotics

With the project formats of the AI Progress Center, companies simply receive expert opinions on the potentials of AI and robotics for their own applications. © Fraunhofer IPA/Photo: Rainer Bez

Until the end of this month, companies of all sizes and industries based in Baden-Württemberg can apply for funded project formats on the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics. The offerings are part of the AI Advancement Center "Learning Systems and Cognitive Robotics" of the Fraunhofer Institutes IPA and IAO and are also aimed at AI beginners.

The high potential of AI and robotics technologies is undisputed. However, many companies, especially SMEs, still find it difficult to identify the most suitable AI technologies for appropriate use cases. This is confirmed by numerous studies, including one from Bitkom from April last year. According to this, lack of money, personnel, and time are common barriers to AI deployment. To support companies as effectively as possible, an individual expert assessment is needed. This is precisely what the AI Advancement Center offers with its low-threshold programs. Almost 200 companies have already taken advantage of these offerings. An overview of the diverse results is compiled on the AI Advancement Center's website.

Until March 31, 2022, companies from startups to corporations can apply with their project outline. There are two project formats:

– "AI Explorer": This format provides basic knowledge for all companies interested in AI or robotics applications but who do not yet have a concrete idea. Fraunhofer staff offer workshops to assess where AI and robotics stand within the company and what the best sequence of steps would be to bring these technologies into practice. The experts help evaluate the current situation and identify potential process improvements or product and service innovations through AI and robotics applications.
– "Quick Checks": With this project format, companies can verify the feasibility of an individual AI or robot application, i.e., an already existing idea. After the company presents its specific use case, Fraunhofer staff examine how feasible the project is. The result is a feasibility statement in the form of a brief "Proof of Principle".

The current application deadline targets companies that have not yet collaborated with the AI Advancement Center. The project formats are free of charge for companies based or located in Baden-Württemberg. This is made possible because the AI Advancement Center receives extensive funding from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, and Tourism.

Successful Project Formats

Both project formats require only a very streamlined application process and have proven to be particularly successful in recent years. Together with the Center for Cyber Cognitive Intelligence (CCI) of Fraunhofer IPA, the two Fraunhofer institutes have conducted the aforementioned over 200 projects. This not only demonstrates that many companies in Baden-Württemberg have benefited from it but also provides Fraunhofer experts with valuable insights into the research and development needs of companies – the basis for targeted, successful technology transfer.

The topics addressed at the AI Advancement Center are very diverse. Success stories include, for example, the Quick Check for automated end-of-line packaging using AI-based image processing and a robot. Further, the feasibility of using image processing and the subfield of machine learning (ML) to automatically detect damages on vehicle bodies was examined, providing important information for rental car companies or used car dealers. Both Quick Checks led to further collaboration between the companies and Fraunhofer, where the applications were prototypically implemented. In the context of the service industry, a Quick Check for a book wholesaler demonstrated the possibility of predicting, using AI, as accurately as possible, when and in what quantity certain products will be ordered.

Human-Centered and Application-Oriented

The projects at the AI Advancement Center focus on human-centered AI. This includes explainability, verifiability, cooperation, integration, and robustness of AI technologies. Only when people interact intuitively with new technologies and collaborate trustfully can their full potential be harnessed. Companies also benefit from the integration of the AI Advancement Center into Europe's largest AI research network, Cyber Valley: Its task is to bridge the gap between high-level basic research at various institutions in the Stuttgart-Tübingen area and the technological needs of users.

The application forms for an AI Explorer or Quick Check, as well as further information on the application process, are available on the AI Advancement Center's website.

Statements from Project Partners

Sick Company: "The colleagues from Fraunhofer have developed an excellent overview of existing methods for quality assurance of neural networks within the framework of the Quick Check. We hope to take further steps towards 'Secure Artificial Intelligence' with their expertise."

Knorr-Bremse Company: "The team at Fraunhofer examined model training using public datasets for pre-labeling video scenes during the Quick Check. The results obtained are encouraging and provide a very good basis for further investigations. The highly professional execution of this project was also well documented by the Fraunhofer partners, and we look forward to further collaboration with great optimism."

IDS Company: "A common goal of Fraunhofer IPA and us is to make AI applicable and explainable. During the Quick Check, IPA brought us closer to this goal through expertise and initiative. It has already been demonstrated in the short project period that not only the decision of neural networks is important but also which image features lead to data manipulation and distortions. We hope to continue this productive collaboration."