LARIAD, laboratory of the future for defense robotics

Press release, Innovation, Research Defense and Security
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Estelle Iacona and Bertrand Rondepierre signing the agreement to create LARIAD

On Wednesday, February 18, Estelle Iacona, Director General of ENSTA, and Bertrand Rondepierre, Director of AMIAD, signed the agreement to create LARIAD, the Robotics and AI Laboratory for Defense. Aimed at developing the research programs of both entities in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, the creation of this joint laboratory is part of a dynamic of sharing technologies and resources.

With a focus on the development of autonomous air-land robotics and preparing for the future, LARIAD's first research theme will be the coordination of heterogeneous multi-robots: whether they walk, roll, or fly, these different types of robots will have to be deployed together in unstructured theaters of operation to carry out various missions, such as reconnaissance or rescue.

Interaction between humans and robots, whether through voice commands or gestures, will also be a focus of research, as will trustworthy AI, ensuring decision-making reliability and system robustness.

For David Filliat, research director at AMIAD and COO of LARIAD, « a partnership with ENSTA seemed essential to us in order to have the means to achieve our experimental ambitions. This joint laboratory gives us access to the significant testing resources available at ENSTA, particularly its U2IS laboratory, with its various air-land robotic platforms and its upcoming outdoor drone arena, which will be one of the largest in Europe. »

David Filliat and Alexandre Chapoutot during the presentation of LARIAD

For Alexandre Chapoutot, U2IS lecturer-researcher and deputy operational director of LARIAD, « Drones are set to become a basic tool for infantry soldiers, just like rifles and radios. The creation of this joint laboratory will enable us to capitalize on U2IS's long-standing investment in defense robotics, as evidenced by our participation since its inception in the Battle Lab Terre's CoHoMa (Human-Machine Collaboration) challenge and our strong links with projects supported by the CIEDS at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. »

From left to right, Alexandre Chapoutot, Estelle Iacona, Bertrand Rondepierre, and David Filliat

For Goran Frehse, director of U2IS, « the creation of this joint laboratory is an excellent opportunity for ENSTA to partner with artificial intelligence experts who will bring their skills to a priority research area, perfectly aligned with the research strategy of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris and its interdisciplinary centers. We will work together on issues that are both central to our teaching and research mission (autonomous systems) and central to sovereignty issues in the truest sense, whether in defense or civil security. By pooling experimental and human resources, AMIAD and ENSTA will gain in efficiency and impact on the international stage »

Goran Frehse, directeur de l'U2IS

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