Czech prime minister views AI, VR, AR and computer vision research

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš of the Czech Republic made a quick stop at the University of Maryland on March 6 to learn about research involving artificial intelligence, robotics, computer vision, and virtual and augmented reality. The prime minister was on a state visit to the U.S., accompanied by his aides and international journalists.

The visit was hosted by ISR Director William Regli (CS/ISR) and the university’s Office of International Affairs.

Three demonstrations were presented in the Maryland Robotics Center’s Robotics Realization Lab. Professor Rama Chellappa (ECE/CS/UMIACS) and University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) Assistant Research Scientist Carlos Castillo demonstrated their advances in facial recognition technology. Professor Dinesh Manocha (CS/ECE/UMIACS) explained his work in simulating the movement and behavior of autonomous vehicles in challenging traffic conditions to predict their navigation and safety capabilities. UMIACS Associate Research Scientist Cornelia Fermüller showed how a robot’s computer vision enabled it to follow the key steps in a cooking demonstration and replicate the actions on its own.

In the Maryland Blended Reality Center, Amitabh Varshney, professor of computer science and dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, presented an overview of the center’s groundbreaking research in virtual and augmented reality. The visitors were given an interactive demonstration on the use of immersive technologies for medical training and foreign language learning. They also were shown how a virtual opera performance might offer an alternative to opioids for pain management.

Article by Rebecca Copeland,  ISR