Interview with Jerry Tan: Service robotic growth for schooling

On the Worldwide Joint Convention on Synthetic Intelligence (IJCAI) 2023, I had the chance to interview Jerry Tan from Lattel Robotics, an organization devoted to selling AI-focused robotics schooling and coaching. They work carefully with the RoboCup@Residence Schooling initiative, supporting faculties and establishments in introducing AI and repair robotic growth to college students. Their aim is to equip learners with sensible AI software abilities in pc imaginative and prescient, autonomous navigation, object manipulation and speech interactions.

Via their AI robotics and AI purposes workshops, Lattel Robotics affords an introduction to robotic working system (ROS)-based AI purposes growth in service robotics. As a {hardware} accomplice for the RoboCup@Residence Schooling initiative, they help faculties and establishments in competing in AI robotic challenges by growing purposes that deal with real-world issues. Their AI studying options embrace establishing AI laboratories, designing curriculums and growing courseware.

Andrea: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. It’s a pleasure to satisfy you. May you please inform me extra about who can profit from the Jupiter2 platform, and what precisely it’s designed to do?

Jerry: Nearly anybody can use it with a programming background to get began to develop their very own AI purposes through service robotic growth, utilizing open supply software program.

Andrea: What sort of sensors do your robots use? Simply microphones and cameras, or is there extra?

Jerry: Sure, so we use a spread of sensors, together with RGB-D cameras and LIDAR sensors for depth notion. Apart from, we have now microphones and audio system for speech interplay, together with robotic arms for object manipulation and cellular platforms for navigation.

Andrea: So, I’ve just a little query about this. Do you’ve an API (Software Programming Interface) that college students and researchers can work via?

Jerry: It’s not all the time obligatory, because the robotic is provided with its personal laptop computer, appearing as a central processing unit. Getting began is simpler, as we have now built-in the {hardware} platform with open-source software program like OpenCV and YOLO, utilizing the Robotic Working System (ROS1 and ROS2). These are in style instruments amongst AI researchers and builders.

Andrea: It sounds intriguing, however the setup course of appears difficult. Integration typically takes time.

Jerry: The robotic platform is already built-in and able to be deployed. For our AI studying system, Juno2, all you must do is to attach it to a laptop computer through a USB port and you may right away boot up the Linux (Ubuntu) atmosphere with ROS, with none software program set up.

AI studying system, Juno2.

Andrea: How do you’re employed with faculties?

Jerry: We’re an schooling answer supplier, supporting faculties and establishments that wish to introduce sensible AI purposes studying in a classroom. Programming expertise in Python or C++ is a prerequisite in doing AI purposes growth. So we offer Python introduction workshop for full rookies. Then utilizing a train-the-trainers method, we provide 3-day AI robotics workshops utilizing Jupiter2 or 2-day AI purposes workshops utilizing Juno2. Via these workshops, educators are given an summary of the AI purposes modules which might allow them to customize the fabric accordingly for schooling, coaching and even analysis functions.

Andrea: What if somebody doesn’t have direct entry to the robotic? Can they work remotely?

Jerry: Completely. You’ll be able to join through a distant desktop software program out of your pc and proceed programming. As talked about simply now, we even have a smaller system known as Juno2, designed for classroom use. You don’t want the total robotic setup on this case; you need to use this system to do pc imaginative and prescient and speech interactions purposes. It’s a plug-and-play answer that works with any laptop computer or working system, routinely loading Ubuntu, ROS and our Jupiter software program growth frameworks. It’s excellent for conducting on-line lessons, as college students can proceed studying from house or wherever they’re.

Andrea: When you’ve got a robotic like this, can extra elements, like audio system, be added to your robots?

Jerry: Sure, positively. That’s a great query. Jupiter2 is an open platform that’s
customisable and reconfigurable. When you’ve got an engineering background, you may modify the {hardware} based mostly on the necessities. This flexibility permits each rookies and superior customers to give attention to their particular areas of curiosity, whether or not it’s software program programming or {hardware} customisation.

Andrea: Have you ever exported these devices earlier than?

Jerry: Sure, we have now exported to Europe, Africa, South and North America earlier than. To this point there are greater than 30 over faculties, universities and establishments globally which have adopted our studying platforms for schooling, coaching, analysis and/or robotic competitions.

Andrea: Unbelievable, thanks on your time and insights. I want you continued success sooner or later!

Yow will discover extra info on the Lattel Robotics web site.

Jerry Tan is the Managing Director of Lattel Robotics. A German-trained engineer turned entrepreneur, Jerry is at the moment operating the AI robotics schooling and coaching corporations in Malaysia and Singapore. Striving to empower anybody in getting began to be taught AI purposes virtually, Jerry works carefully with faculties and tutorial establishments in establishing laboratories and growing courseware.