Interview with Jerry Tan: Service robot development for education

On the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) 2023, I had the chance to interview Jerry Tan from Lattel Robotics, an organization devoted to selling AI-focused robotics training and coaching. They work carefully with the RoboCup@Home Training initiative, supporting colleges and establishments in introducing AI and repair robotic growth to college students. Their aim is to equip learners with sensible AI utility abilities in laptop imaginative and prescient, autonomous navigation, object manipulation and speech interactions.

By their AI robotics and AI purposes workshops, Lattel Robotics gives an introduction to robotic working system (ROS)-based AI purposes growth in service robotics. As a {hardware} associate for the RoboCup@Dwelling Training initiative, they help colleges and establishments in competing in AI robotic challenges by creating purposes that handle real-world issues. Their AI studying options embody organising AI laboratories, designing curriculums and creating courseware.

Andrea: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. It’s a pleasure to fulfill you. Might 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. Moreover, we’ve microphones and audio system for speech interplay, together with robotic arms for object manipulation and cell platforms for navigation.

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

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

Andrea: It sounds intriguing, however the setup course of appears sophisticated. 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 might want to do is to attach it to a laptop computer through a USB port and you’ll right away boot up the Linux (Ubuntu) setting with ROS, with none software program set up.

AI studying system, Juno2.

Andrea: How do you’re employed with colleges?

Jerry: We’re an training answer supplier, supporting colleges and establishments that need 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 novices. Then utilizing a train-the-trainers strategy, we provide 3-day AI robotics workshops utilizing Jupiter2 or 2-day AI purposes workshops utilizing Juno2. By these workshops, educators are given an summary of the AI purposes modules which might allow them to customize the fabric accordingly for training, coaching and even analysis functions.

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

Jerry: Completely. You possibly can join through a distant desktop software program out of your laptop and proceed programming. As talked about simply now, we even have a smaller system referred to 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 laptop imaginative and prescient and speech interactions purposes. It’s a plug-and-play answer that works with any laptop computer or working system, robotically 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 dwelling or wherever they’re.

Andrea: If in case you have a robotic like this, can extra elements, like audio system, be added to your robots?

Jerry: Sure, positively. That’s a superb query. Jupiter2 is an open platform that’s
customisable and reconfigurable. If in case you have an engineering background, you possibly can modify the {hardware} based mostly on the necessities. This flexibility permits each novices and superior customers to concentrate on 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’ve exported to Europe, Africa, South and North America earlier than. Up to now there are greater than 30 over colleges, universities and establishments globally which have adopted our studying platforms for training, coaching, analysis and/or robotic competitions.

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

You’ll find extra info on the Lattel Robotics website.

Jerry Tan is the Managing Director of Lattel Robotics. A German-trained engineer turned entrepreneur, Jerry is presently operating the AI robotics training and coaching firms in Malaysia and Singapore. Striving to empower anybody in getting began to study AI purposes virtually, Jerry works carefully with colleges and tutorial establishments in organising laboratories and creating courseware.