Ahold Delhaize held a three-day inaugural event for its AI for Retail (AIR) Lab in Delft in the Netherlands.
The lab is an extension of the company's AIR Lab in Amsterdam, which was created in partnership with Delft University.
The new research facility will focus on the future of robotics and develop state-of-the-art technology for the retail industry.
The team in the lab has already started work towards developing prototypes and solutions in all the lab’s lines of research, the retailer said in its statement.
Inaugural Event
The inaugural event was marked by the presence of scientists in robotics and AI, operational employees, students, and sponsors of the lab.
The event kicked off with a keynote presentation by AI and robotics expert, Pieter Abbeel, who is also the director of the Berkeley Robot Learning Lab and co-director of the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Lab.
His presentation, 'Deep Learning to Learn' focused on research about the difference between how robots and humans learn by imitation, and how scientists are working to enable robots to acquire new skills more quickly.
On the second day, the lab's store group invited employees to events aimed at building enthusiasm about technology among young people.
Participants also went on a tour of the AIR lab, the botanical gardens and the science centre.
A morning meet-up was held on the third day to introduce new members of the lab, who started working on projects in September of this year.
The researchers also gave short pitches of their projects, the retail giant added.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
