A Robot "Applies" for a Job at Our University

A new generation robot and a digital information wall were presented at our university yesterday. After a test and a "job interview" they will be the students' new assistants. The Rector was the first to see the smart presentation equipment and test the robot's skills.

Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of UNWE, Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova-Boshnakova, Vice Rector for Educational Activities and Prof. D.Sc. /Econ./ Kiril Stoychev, Assistant Rector, tested the skills of the new job applicant

Yordan Shakhanov and Stefan Shakhanov - father and son, are engaged in artificial intelligence and work out programmes to develop the capabilities of robots.

"We create additional software for the robot depending on the specifics of the job. One of our robots is already being tested at Angel Kanchev Ruse University, another is at the Technological School for Electronic Systems /TSES/ and a third, smaller robot is at the School in Busmancy. Your test robot can also be taught to talk about the university, about events, to be a smart assistant to students or staff", said Stefan Shakhanov while presenting the robot's skills. Stefan Shakhanov has studied Telecommunications at the Technical University of Sofia and then - Communications and Signal Processing at the Imperial College London which led him to focus on the Artificial Intelligence Programming.

Stefan Shakhanov, creator of artificial intelligence software

The Shahkanovs have been working in the field of robotics for 7 years and have been experimenting with various technologies that are now becoming more and more advanced. They use robots as a platform for various developments related to artificial intelligence. They have made a Bulgarian language recognition system where the robot understands Bulgarian and talks in it.

The robot presented at the UNWE is from the category of social robot and attraction at the same time. It reacts emotionally - it cries, blinks, sings and dances. It can recognize faces, people, events and perform certain actions in different situations even conduct a job interview.  When it detects a person in front of it through the sensor - it can play a video or greet it. On the back there is a projector through which it can project presentations and videos. The children can play the games that are on its display and even play chase game with it.

The UNWE job applicant is the female robot who is part of an entire family.

The robot is remotely controlled and what it sees can be viewed on a tablet synced to it.

A digital information wall was also presented at the University. It is divided into 5 independent windows on which there can be different content. They are standing-alone web browsers. other configurations which are predefined can also be run from the menu. The windows themselves can be of any size and content. The development is by Stefan Shakhanov. The digital information wall is touchscreeen and it is planned to be located at the main entrance of the UNWE.