The digital premiere of munich_i from June 22 to 24, 2021, provided answers to the most pressing questions from society, science and business in the context of artificial intelligence and robotics. Messe München, automatica and the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (formerly Munich School of Robotics and Machine Intelligence, MSRM) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) initiated the new, globally unique high-tech platform. Under the guiding theme “intelligence empowering tomorrow”, the event addressed issues from the fields of work, health and mobility. The centerpiece of munich_i was the Hightech Summit on June 22, 2021. The top-class conference with scientists from all over the world highlighted solutions and the current state of research from technology and industry in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. munich_i also consisted of three other parts: 

AI.Society – the special exhibition space on a digital platform where up to 30 Munich-based start-ups as well as TUM research groups presented their latest technological achievements in live sessions. 

Robothon® – student teams from around the world programmed industrial robot arms using AI for up to a month to find a solution for sorting electronic waste. Their work was judged by the international Grand Challenge Jury at the Award Ceremony during the Hightech Summit and recognized with up to €20,000 in prize money.

Robot driver’s license – participants gained basic knowledge on the intuitive and independent operation of a modern robot arm from FRANKA EMIKA which they tested right away during the online workshop. The course focused on human-robot collaboration and presented ways how robotics can make everyday life easier in the future.

The munich_i leadership team consisted of Prof. Dr. Alena Buyx and Prof. Dr. Sami Haddadin. Prof. Dr. Buyx is Director of the Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine and holds the Chair of Ethics of Medicine and Health Technologies at TUM. Prof. Dr. Haddadin is Director of the MIRMI and holds the Chair of Robotics and Machine Intelligence at TUM.