On Girls'Day, April 3, 2025, 20 female students had the opportunity to experience research live at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Ulm. For one day, they became scientists, computer scientists, and physicists. They were able to get a glimpse into DLR's research on quantum technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and batteries.
At the Institute for AI Safety and Security, the students explored the topic of AI and AI safety and security. What exactly is artificial intelligence? How can an AI – a computer program – learn? To answer this, the girls took a closer look at reinforcement learning. The AI has several actions to choose from and decides which one to take. If the action leads to the goal, the AI is rewarded with points.
But what is the difference between a classical AI and a quantum AI? The students were able to observe this themselves using our Quantum Arcade Demonstrator, where they competed against both a classical AI and a quantum AI. They were also able to directly experience quantum principles like entanglement and superposition, as well as qubits, through another game.
It was hard to stop playing, but after that, they moved on to the next station: What happens when the AI cannot recognize an object or a person? The students were able to test this with our robot. The robot recognized the girls and followed them. This was not only impressive but also sparked some thoughtful moments. They quickly experimented with how the robot behaved when a pillow partially covered one of the girls... the robot could no longer follow. The students learned how to test and critically question an AI system.
Next, they immersed themselves in our training simulation for robots with a virtual reality headset. There, they interacted directly with the virtual robot, gave commands, or simply explored the world. The focus was mainly on future production facilities where humans can safely collaborate with robots.
The Institute for Quantum Technologies and the Institute for Technical Thermodynamics also offered many hands-on activities for trying out and experimenting. The day at DLR was the perfect opportunity for the students to ask questions about DLR in Ulm, science and studies, and a career as a researcher.
