Artificial Intelligence (MSc)

What is intelligent behaviour? How can robots communicate with each other? How to design a system that negotiates? In this programme you will learn how to design and implement intelligent systems. Humans and animals are important sources of inspiration in this area. 

The Master’s programme Artificial Intelligence (AI) focuses on the development of intelligent systems. The core topics in this master are autonomous perceptive systems, cognitive robotics and multi-agent systems.

Systems that can operate and carry out missions independently
Autonomous systems are systems that can operate and carry out missions independently, for example robots driving around on the moon taking samples and collecting information. Even in unpredictable surroundings these robots respond with a certain intelligence and take decisions about what to do. At the University of Groningen we concentrate on autonomous perceptive systems, i.e. robots that can find and read a sign in an unknown environment or systems that detect verbal aggression from the complex sounds of busy streets. While traditional AI focuses on cognition and reasoning as isolated abilties, we strongly believe in perception as an active behavior which is seamlessly integrated into general cognition.

Research in social robotics

Cognitive robotics is also an important part of this Master’s programme. The courses taught in this area are connected to research in social robotics, the origin of communication and recognizing movements of other robots. Research is conducted at the ALICE institute (Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Engineering). A possible research topic is how to get one AIBO (robot dog) to recognize another AIBO.

Team of robots playing football
An example of a multi-agent system is a team of robots playing football. These robots have to communicate and cooperate with each other. When designing these types of systems, knowledge of thinking and acting of humans and animals is necessary. This is combined with techniques from computing science and logic. 

 

  About this master

Study programme