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Luxembourg National Research Fund

FNR Science Image Competition: Robot, sit

The FNR Science Image Competition aims to show the beauty of research and science outreach in Luxembourg. The photo ‘Robot, sit’ received ‘distinction’ in the Places and Tools category in the 2022 edition. Learn more about this fascinating photograph and the research connected to it.

"Robot, sit", photograph taken by Phillippe Ludivig

This “dog-like” robot is showing off its wide range of motion. It is used to research autonomous operations in an urban environment using a range of different sensors.

Doing autonomous operations means that the bot will not need to be remotely controlled by a human nor will it need to perform and record the walking tasks in advance. Researchers from the University of Luxembourg aim to build an artificial intelligence that allows the robot to understand where it is and move autonomously to collect data. By continuously ‘teaching’ the robot, it will learn to perform its tasks in a changing environment.

Image by Phillippe Ludivig; Jose Luis Sanchez-Lopez; Hriday Bavle; Ahmed M Taha and Muhammad Shaheer (ispace / SnT at University of Luxembourg)

WORD FROM THE JURY

An international jury selected the winning photographs, images and videos, based on their aesthetic quality and their aptitude to inspire and fascinate, to convey or to illustrate knowledge, to narrate a story, to engage the public to explore a new universe.

A remote controlled “dog” which looks at the same time futuristic and so alike a living animal, in the posture it can adopt. For the jury, this is an amazing piece of highly complex technology which supports scientists in the development of new autonomous operations – no one would be surprised to hear it has its own emotions.

A quadruped robot navigating a tram stop to test operations in actual urban environments. Testing in these environments lets the researchers discover problematic situations that cannot be encountered in the lab.
Researchers Ahmed Mahfouz and Muhammad Shaheer debugging a quadruped robot’s issues during a field test in an urban environment.
A quadruped robot in motion while navigating a pedestrian crossing.

Black Mirror, anyone?

About the FNR Science Image Competition – discover the exhibition!

The exhibition can also be discovered until the end of 2022 in Luxembourg City/Limpertsberg, in front of LGL

The FNR Science Image Competition ran for the first time in 2020, on the occasion of the FNR’s 20th birthday. Now in its third edition, the 2022 awarded and ‘distinction’ images – along with the ‘Prix du Public’ awarded in collaboration with media partner RTL, can be discovered at an exhibition at the Luxembourg Science Center from 29 June until the end of September 2022. From Mid-September 2022 you can also discover the exhibition in front of Lycée de Garçons in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg (Place Auguste Laurent) – until the end of the year.

Categories in the FNR Science Image Competition

1) Object of study: From the microcosm to the macrocosm, images of the research object captured by scientists using a camera or generated by a computer.

2) Scientists in action: Photographs of research in practice, presented by and featuring those conducting it.

3) Places and tools: Photographs of the surroundings in which scientists take measurements, generate data, share their passion, make discoveries and of the instruments they use while doing so.

4) Science outreach activities: Photographs of an activity where researcher and science communicators dialogue with the school children, students or the wider public or of interactive projects for school children, students and the wider public, giving them an overview of science and research and/or scientists’ research methods.

2021 FNR SCIENCE IMAGE COMPETITION
2021 FNR SCIENCE IMAGE COMPETITION
2019 FNR SCIENCE IMAGE COMPETITION

Discover the stories behind more images from the 2022 FNR Science Image Competition