How can EAISI and HTSC increase collaboration with companies and other universities?

Hala Elrofai, TU/e EAISI

How can we build trust in AI and robotics? These are just some of the questions that Hala Elrofai aims to answer in her new role as Program Manager Robotics & Mobility, which she took over from Jesse Scholtes in November 2021.

Before arriving at TU/e, Hala had already spent ten years investigating AI and big data at TNO. As a senior researcher, her work also involved acquiring new projects and strengthening collaboration.

You need to get to know people to make the right connections”

How can EAISI and HTSC increase collaboration with companies and other universities? And how can we build trust in AI and robotics? These are just some of the questions that Hala Elrofai aims to answer in her new role as Program Manager Robotics & Mobility, which she took over from Jesse Scholtes in November 2021.

A wealth of experience

Before arriving at TU/e, Hala had already spent ten years investigating AI and big data at TNO. As a senior researcher, her work also involved acquiring new projects and strengthening collaboration. “TNO is not a company but more applied research,” Hala begins. “It also has different departments, so you still need to get to know people to make the right connections. This is a big part of your work, besides leading the research, of course. All this experience could immediately be used here at TU/e.”

Hala’s new role is similar: in addition to being responsible for internal collaboration between different groups and departments, she will extend external collaboration with other universities and both Dutch and international companies. “For instance, I’m setting up a robotics research community for the whole of TU/e in which researchers from different groups and departments can regularly meet,” she explains. “There was already one for mobility and I’m establishing a new one for robotics so that we can all work together. Acquisition, writing proposals, ideation – it’s all part of the job.”

A change of perception

Since the integration of HTSC and EAISI a year ago, various opportunities have arisen in AI and robotics. Hala is quick to highlight the impressive community that TU/e has already developed, such as the university’s dominance in the annual RoboCup for soccer-playing robots. Nonetheless, there is always room for improvement if Eindhoven is stay at the forefront of such fast-changing domains.

“I see that there is still not much machine learning,” Hala notes. “Another thing is that older robots are in closed departments, not really interacting with humans. In the future, I hope that we have smarter robots that can take more responsibility and work more interactively. When people talk about AI, they also have this fear that machines are taking over! I hope that people will instead look at our work as machines helping us with the huge amounts of data we’re receiving. We can then develop trustworthy AI that is safer and more accurate. And in mobility, we can aim to use data from sensors in cars and infrastructure to reduce accidents and increase sustainability towards zero accidents and zero emission.”

An added impulse

In the meantime, Hala is working to build up the same kind of national and international network in robotics as she already has in mobility. “Robotics is rather new for me, so right now I’m focusing on extending my network. Hopefully, this will lead to new projects, not only with EU funding but also B2B because there are programs where TU/e can work with companies.”

As an example, she highlights EAISI-IMPULS, a research investment program that allows companies to directly engage with the university in projects on health, high-tech industry and mobility. “I invite all companies to look at that,” Hala concludes. “You just need to come with the idea and the framework has already been worked out. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for more information.”

Hala can be reached at h.b.h.elrofai@tue.nl or on +31 6 432 26 432.