Our project was recently featured on the NDR program "Perspectives - In Search of Solutions." The report shares experiences with an avatar from Gymnasium Limmer in Hannover and discusses prospects for future robots with enhanced data minimization. The goal: to deploy highly flexible avatars for the optimal integration of sick children while maximizing the privacy of all participants. The entire episode, including the interview with Prof. Dr. Reinhardt, can be listened to on the NDR's media library here .

Our research project has recently been featured in an article by HNA. A poignant example from our research illustrates how an avatar enables a student to stay connected with their classes and classmates despite health challenges, thereby promoting educational continuity and social integration.

For more details, please refer to the full HNA article: 
Avatar represented sick student in class - University project ensures privacy

On February 23, 2024, the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, visited the Humanoid Robots Lab at the University of Bonn to learn about the latest developments in robotics and the use of learning avatars. During his visit, Minister President Wüst praised the work of the lab and emphasized the importance of such innovations for daily life.

"The Humanoid Robots Lab at the University of Bonn demonstrates how we can experience these opportunities in our daily lives: through everyday helpers and learning avatars with which we can interact, we are experiencing a new form of support in our daily activities," said Wüst. "North Rhine-Westphalia is the most densely populated higher education and science location in Europe; our science is excellent. The research projects at the Humanoid Robots Lab help ensure that our state remains at the forefront of innovation," added the Minister President.

The Humanoid Robots Lab at the University of Bonn is known for its pioneering research in robotics and artificial intelligence. The developments made here have the potential to revolutionize people's everyday lives and enable new forms of support and interaction.

"The research project PRIVATAR was also part of the presentation—a project researching data-efficient robots that enable sick children to be present in the classroom and even interact with the class community via a mobile avatar," according to the website.

Minister President Wüst was impressed by the progress and dedication of the research team and emphasized the importance of such projects for the future.

For more information, visit: https://www.uni-bonn.de/de/neues/041-2024