Information
Information is the fuel of our modern society. Secure and profitable use of information is indispensable for the existence and further development of our communities in the era of digitalization. At KIT, about 800 researchers of about 30 institutes conduct interdisciplinary research into the corresponding technical systems.
Specialists in different areas, such as informatics, economics, electrical engineering and information technology, mechanical engineering, and social sciences, jointly work on pressing issues like cyber security or management and analysis of big data. They develop trend-setting humanoid robots that react to human language and gestures and smart machines for tomorrow’s industry and work in hostile environments, such as the deep sea or remote planets. They test revolutionary communication networks for autonomous driving.
Research Focus
Engineering Trustworthy and Embodied AI Systems
The Research Focus Engineering Trustworthy and Embodied AI Systems explores two interrelated lines of inquiry:
developing adaptive embodied AI systems that continuously learn from interactions with the physical world and reflect on the consequences of their actions;
creating novel methods to ensure the trustworthiness of software and hardware systems.
Key areas of investigation include the deeper integration of AI with physical embodiment, the establishment of multi-model consistency frameworks, and the advancement of validation and verification techniques. The overarching goal is to bridge the gap between the powerful capabilities of AI and the stringent trustworthiness requirements in critical application domains, ultimately enabling the design of AI architectures with measurable trustworthiness metrics.
Research highlights span AI-assisted traffic control, human-centered robotics, and human-computer interaction, as explored in our Real-World Labs ‘Baden-Württemberg Test Area Autonomous Driving (TAF BW)’ and ‘Robotic AI’. Another key initiative is the CRC on ‘Consistency in the View-Based Development of Cyber-Physical Systems’.
Parrying Cyber Attacks
Transmission of news, transportation, industrial production, research, administration – modern information and communication technologies are needed in all areas. Advancing interconnection to respond to digital trends, such as future power grids, Industry 4.0, smart homes, or self-driving cars, increases the number of potential targets for cyber criminals. At the same time, the number of cyber attacks is increasing continuously. Such attacks on digital infrastructure by criminals or state organizations threaten prosperity and security of our societies. In the end, even freedom and democracy are in danger. Scientists of the KASTEL Institute of Information Security and Dependability of KIT are working on parrying such cyber attacks that are extremely dangerous to highly developed countries.
Overcoming Language Barriers with Artificial Intelligence
Translation services are needed for international exchange in business or politics. Researchers of KIT develop self-learning systems for automatic language recognition and interpretation. Automatic language recognition allows for real-time transcription. An automatic lecture translator in the lecture halls of KIT helps international students understand German lectures.
Robot Helpers at the Household and Workplace
KIT is the home to humanoid robots of the ARMAR family that are designed to support humans at the future household and workplace: While conventional industrial robots act behind barriers, ARMAR-6 directly cooperates with humans. It is not restricted to a certain activity, but capable of learning the use of new tools by observing humans and it can assist human colleagues with a hammer or drilling machine. ARMAR-6 does not only work with a few pre-programmed working tools. Thanks to its artificial intelligence, the robot helper continuously improves its capabilities through observation, language instructions, or own experience. It is a real assistant that recognizes when a human needs help and offers it proactively. ARMAR-3 is designed for helping in the kitchen. It gets the milk from the fridge, prepares dough, and cleans the worktop afterwards.
Quicker Mobile Phone Network Thanks to 6G Technologies
Future wireless data networks will have to reach higher transmission rates and shorter delay times, while the number of end devices will increase. Researchers are working on technologies for the next generation of wireless data transmission. 6G is to reach far increased transmission rates, shorter delay times, an increased device density, and integration of artificial intelligence. Future wireless networks will consist of a large number of small mobile radio cells, within which big data volumes will be transmitted quickly and efficiently. To connect these cells, lines transmitting hundreds of gigabits per second in a single channel are needed. Frequencies in the terahertz range that is located between microwaves and infrared radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum appear to be highly suited for this purpose.
Researchers at KIT and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have achieved a major breakthrough in the field of light-based data connections. They developed a novel component that delivers high-speed, energy-efficient data transmission through fiber-optic cables. In addition, the underlying manufacturing technology allows for cost-effective mass production using standard semiconductor wafers..
Information Systems Technologies Center
The KIT Information - Systems - Technologies Center (KCIST) researches and designs complex adaptable technical systems for secure and efficient handling of information. It bundles competencies in areas such as algorithmics, software engineering, cloud computing and scientific computing, secure communication systems and big data technologies, as well as intuitive human-machine interfaces, human-centered robotics, industrial robotics, and automation.
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