DFG funds research group on active learning
The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding five new research groups with a total of around 19 million euros for the first funding period. One of these is the research group “Active Learning for Dynamic Systems and Control - Data Informativity, Uncertainties and Guarantees” (ALeSCo), which deals with machine learning – especially self-learning control systems – and its challenges in safety-critical applications. The research group is coordinated by the University of Hanover.
Prof. Moritz Diehl, Systems Control and Optimization Laboratory at the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), is one of five Principal Investigators (PIs) in the research group. Together with his colleagues, he is investigating how controlled and learning systems can be specifically influenced in order to obtain relevant information and minimize uncertainties. The aim is to develop methods that not only improve learning in dynamic systems, but also make it more reliable and comprehensible.
Machine learning is used in many areas of everyday life, such as robotics, energy technology and autonomous driving. However, conventional methods reach their limits when it comes to ensuring safety, for example in autonomous driving or in the interaction between humans and machines. This is where ALeSCo comes in and researches new approaches to active learning, in which the learning process is specifically controlled to enable safe, efficient and powerful use.
The DFG funding is initially for four years, with the possibility of an extension for a further four years. ALeSCo will make an important contribution to the further development of machine learning - particularly in areas where safety and efficiency are of crucial importance.
Contact:
Kerstin Steiger-Merx
Representative PR/Marketing
Faculty of Engineering
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Tel.: 0761/203-8056
E-Mail: steiger-merx@tf.uni-freiburg.de
Prof. Dr. Moritz Diehl
Systems Control and Optimization Laboratory
Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK
E-Mail: moritz.diehl@imtek.uni-freiburg.de