IMPACT: Intelligent machine perception

Participants : Josef Sivic, Jean Ponce, Ivan Laptev.

IMPACT is a 5-year collaborative project with Czech Technical University, Center for Robotics, Informatics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) (2017-2022). The IMPACT project focuses on fundamental and applied research in computer vision, machine learning and robotics to develop machines that learn to perceive, reason, navigate and interact with complex dynamic environments. For example, people easily learn how to change a flat tire of a car or perform resuscitation by observing other people doing the same task. This involves advanced visual intelligence abilities such as interpreting sequences of human actions that manipulate objects to achieve a specific task. Currently, however, there is no artificial system with a similar level of cognitive visual competence. Breakthrough progress in intelligent machine perception will have profound implications on our everyday lives as well as science and commerce, with smart assistive robots that automatically learn new skills from the Internet, safer cars that autonomously navigate in difficult changing conditions, or intelligent glasses that help people navigate never seen before environments.