On February 28, the Latvian Academy of Sciences (LAS) held its annual award ceremony, honoring the authors of the most significant scientific achievements of 2024. We are proud to announce that the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (EDI), together with the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia (LU MII), has received the LAS Award for an outstanding scientific achievement: “Cognitive Perception and High-Level Instruction Interpretation for Robots Using Natural Language Concepts.”
EDI researchers, as the leading technological development partner and colleagues from LU MII, have created a unique artificial intelligence solution that enables robots to better understand and execute instructions given by humans. This technology generates a 3D semantic map, allowing the robot to perceive and interpret its surroundings in words. Such an approach opens new possibilities for industrial and mobile robots, enabling them to operate in dynamic environments, collaborate with humans in an intuitive and natural way, and utilize innovative navigation and positioning methods in environments where GPS signals are unavailable.
A key element of this technology is its ability to analyze sensor-acquired images (depth cameras, LIDAR) using artificial intelligence, recognize objects, and associate them with natural language commands. This enables the robot to interpret and execute tasks accurately, such as “Pick up the green apple from the table and place it on the tray.” The robot automatically identifies the location of the objects and sequentially performs the necessary actions.
A portable sensor system was developed during the project, integrating RGB cameras, LIDAR, inertial sensors, and GPS. A new reference position measurement method was also created, allowing robots to navigate environments without GPS signals. Moreover, an extensive publicly available dataset with trajectories recorded in various environments—urban areas, meadows, and forests—was compiled, providing valuable resources for further development and research.
ABB Latvia and NATRIX have already evaluated this technology and recognized its potential for wide-ranging applications.
A big thank you to the research team for their dedicated work: Latvian Academy of Sciences (LAS) Academician and EDI director Modris Greitāns, LAS Academician Guntis Bārzdiņš (LU MII), Mg.sc.comp. Pēteris Račinskis, Ph.D. Jānis Ārents, Mg.sc.ing. Oskars Vismanis, and Mg.sc.ing. Toms E. Zinars.
This award is a great honor and a testament to EDI’s scientific excellence and innovation potential!
