Real-time networking of humans and machines

The ‘Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop’ (CeTI) Cluster of Excellence run by the TU Dresden pursues the vision of facilitating real-time interaction between humans and robots in industrial and non-industrial fields of application – be it directly alongside each other or in a virtual world. It is a vision that extends well beyond the current state of the art, as interactions between humans and machines require intelligent communication networks with latency periods of under a millisecond (‘tactile internet’), as well as online learning mechanisms to co-ordinate human and robot behaviour. To tackle these challenges, the CeTI is conducting interdisciplinary research into the key areas of human-in-the-loop, sensor and actuator technology, software and hardware designs, and communication networks. In doing so, it focuses on the application fields of medicine, industry and the Internet of Skills.

The CeTI has launched various projects to test out its research. Together with the 5G Lab Germany, it has developed a collaborative robot (cobot) capable of performing ‘picking processes’ in the immediate vicinity of humans and without any safety devices. Controlled using a glove, the cobot systematically grabs objects and hands them to its human counterpart. As such, it is able to pass bottles to bartenders or act as a baker’s assistant, as illustrated by the CeTI in its robot demonstrations. In addition to such SME applications, the CeTI also hopes the robot can be used in medicine, Industry 4.0, co-working and the Internet of Skills. Leading IT specialists are collaborating with communication engineers, mechanical engineers, psychologists and philosophers at the CeTI to achieve this.