Open Day of the Newly Upgraded INSYGHT Lab
The INSYGHT lab at the Intelligent Systems (INSY) department has undergone a remarkable transformation, now boasting cutting-edge technology that includes multi-camera capture systems, advanced robotics, a robotic arm, audio synthesis capabilities, a sound-attenuated booth, and extended reality (XR) equipment. This state-of-the-art facility not only enhances multi-modal perception and generation but also fosters collaboration with the Social XR lab at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), enabling seamless remote interactions between scientists and students from both institutions.
This significant upgrade was made possible through the financial backing of the INSY department and the EEMCS faculty, reflecting the collaborative efforts of various research groups within the INSY department and the Research and Engineering Team (REIT). With these advancements, the lab is now positioned at the forefront of technological innovation in academic research, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and enhanced learning experiences.
On September 24th, 2024, the newly upgraded INSYGHT Lab was officially opened. Alan Hanjalic, head of the INSY department, reflected on how the lab upgrade started with a simple discussion between himself, Marcel Reinders, and Xucong Zhang on a piece of paper; and was ultimately brought to life through the coordination of Xucong.
During the Open Day, colleagues and collaborators gathered to explore a series of live demonstrations that highlighted the cutting-edge research facilitated by the new facilities, showcasing the innovative work that has gone into building this lab. These demos are presented by the implementation board members of the new INSYGHT lab, including intelligent human-robot interaction with a Navel robot by Catharine Oertel, 3D reconstruction with Gaussian Splatting by Petr Kellnhofer and Michael Weinmann, a highly realistic volumetric video conferencing system (VR2Gather) by Pablo Cesar, multi-modal speech and video recordings in a sound-attenuated booth by Odette Scharenborg, a cognitive robot arm synchronized and integrated with other subsystems by Chirag Raman (supported by a Convergence Health and Technology accelerator grant), audio synthesis with multiple speakers by Jorge Martinez Castaneda, and a multi-camera capture system by Xucong Zhang.
This successful Open Day was made possible with the assistance of the INSY department, with special thanks to Ruud de Jong, Era Dorta Perez, Marunka van Stight, and Celeste Hardorff.