Twinning action for spreading excellence in Artificial Intelligence of Things

RISE recently organized a highly successful hands-on training tutorial on WebAssembly (Wasm) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Internet of Things (IoT) . The event welcomed participants from UNIZG-FER , TU Berlin , and TU Vienna , highlighting the widespread interest in these cutting-edge technologies. During the morning session, led by expert Fehmi Ben Abdesslem , attendees delved into the fundamentals of WebAssembly and explored its potential to enable developers to execute high-performance code across diverse platforms. Moreover, the session explored the intersection of AI and IoT, shedding light on how AI algorithms can enhance IoT applications, making them more intelligent and efficient.   In the hands-on tutorial that followed, participants gained practical experience implementing WebAssembly modules and integrating AI functionalities into IoT devices. Guided by experienced instructors and real-world examples, attendees acquired essential skills to effectively leverage these technologies. The event then transitioned into an afternoon Hackathon , providing participants with the opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills in a collaborative setting. Mentors were on hand to offer guidance and support as teams worked towards developing innovative IoT solutions. Overall, the event was a success, fostering learning, collaboration, and innovation in the exciting field of WebAssembly and AI for IoT.

The AIoTwin Consortium held the AIoTwin Plenary Meeting in Stockholm on Thursday, April 18, 2024 . The session commenced with an introductory overview of logistics, followed by comprehensive presentations detailing the status and planning of year 2 activities across various work packages. Attendees were briefed on the progress of demonstrators, test environments, and timelines, along with discussions on forthcoming calls relevant to AIoTwin. Additionally, updates were provided on reporting status, review preparation, and planning sessions for upcoming events such as the 2nd AIoTwin Summer School. Moreover, PhD students shared their research outcomes and future plans during the meeting.  

  In today's landscape of rapid innovation, obtaining funding, facilitating collaboration and maintaining reproducible research standards are critical to driving progress. The first AIoTwin Research and Innovation Management Training , organized by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) , brought together experts to address the various aspects of the dynamic research environment. Participants gained valuable insights and practical strategies to navigate this ever-evolving terrain. Further details of the programme can be found below.  

Dr. Pantelis Frangoudis & Dr. Ilir Murturi from TUW visited the University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing as part of our AIoTwin activities. Their visit from February 26th to February 28th marked the second expert visit, demonstrating the collaboration and knowledge sharing on the AIoTwin project. Dr. Frangoudis delivered a public talk titled “ SMTaaS: Serving problem-solving workloads over the computing continuum ” on November 8th at FER, hosted by the Croatian Section of IEEE, and attended by members of our IoTLab involved in the AIoTwin project, the talk spurred insightful discussions. Following the talk, both mornings saw Dr. Frangoudis and Dr. Murturi leading interactive lectures tailored to the IoTLab members and streamed online to the rest of the AIoTwin consortium. Both lectures centered around Distributed Computing Continuum Systems , with Dr. Frangoudis focusing on the introduction, technologies, and orchestration aspects, while Dr. Murturi covered emerging approaches for intelligent, self-adaptive, and secure operation. The slides of the public talk, and more information about the visit, can be found here . 

We're excited to share a recap of our achievements in 2023, a year in which we set out to advance research and innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) through a collaboration between the University of Zagreb - Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), Technische Universität Wien (TUW), Technische Universität Berlin (TUB), and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).  Key Moments: A Year in Review  Kick-off Meeting in January: We launched the project with a dynamic kick-off meeting, setting the course for Y1 of the project.  Short-Term Staff Exchange: Ivan Čilić from FER took part in a short-term staff exchange at TUW, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration.  Public Presentation: Prof. Ivana Podnar Žarko presented the project to a wider audience during the National Information Day of the Horizon Europe Programme in Croatia and presented our vision of AIoT which brings artificial intelligence into our physical environment.  Hands-on Workshop: TUB organized an intensive hands-on workshop on knowledge graphs, AI models with VisionKG, and learning on edge devices with Flower, providing participants with practical insights.  Technical Blog Post: Jicheng Yuan and Duc Manh Nguyen from TUB published their first technical blog post on training AI models with VisionKG, demonstrating our cutting-edge research.  AIoTwin Summer School: We hosted the inaugural AIoTwin Summer School in Šibenik, Croatia, bringing together renowned experts and researchers for a stimulating event with keynote talks, tutorials, hands-on training, and a poster and pitch session for PhD students.  Expert Visit: Lodovico Giaretta from RISE delivered three presentations on Graph Neural Networks and Graph Representation Learning in decentralized environments during an expert visit to FER, further deepening our collaboration.  Croatian Symposium on Artificial Intelligence: Prof. Ivana Podnar Žarko presented the project at the Symposium on AI organized by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), showcasing our contributions to the field of AIoT.  Open Day Demonstration: We presented the AIoTwin project to enthusiastic visitors during the Open Day at FER, generating interest in our work.  Stay tuned for more exciting updates in 2024! 

AIoTwin project coordinator Prof. Ivana Podnar Žarko gave a presentation on " Artificial Intelligence for Internet of Things Devices " at the First Croatian Symposium on Artificial Intelligence organized by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU) on 21 November 2023. She highlighted the new concept of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) , which brings artificial intelligence into our physical environment and removes the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. This new concept is being explored by the AIoTwin consortium to find new opportunities and solutions for device intelligence and autonomy in the physical environment. The presentation (in Croatian) is available on the symposium website: https://www.hrui.org/program .

On Saturday, November 25, 2023, the Open Doors Day of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) took place and attracted numerous visitors. This event offered the public, especially high-school students, the opportunity to explore the study programmes available at FER and learn about the ongoing research projects. Numerous departments and laboratories showcased their work, including the Internet of Things Laboratory . Ivan Kralj , Katarina Mandarić , Ivan Čilić , Dora Kreković , and Mislav Has presented the recently completed IoT-field project, which encompasses a comprehensive IoT solution from sensors through an interoperable platform to a user application for monitoring crops and meteorological conditions in the field. Attention was also drawn to the urban garden set up in the FER courtyard and the quantity of the harvest. Visitors were particularly interested in the involvement of students in projects, and it was emphasized that, over the course of more than 3.5 years of the IoT-field project, students were actively engaged, resulting in a significant number of group projects, as well as undergraduate and graduate theses. In addition to IoT-field, we presented the AIoTwin project, highlighting our collaboration with technical universities in Vienna and Berlin, as well as the RISE research center in Sweden. A new concept, the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) , was introduced and explained. AIoT brings artificial intelligence into our physical environment and removes the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds, opening up new possibilities for device intelligence and autonomy in the physical environment. Furthermore, assistants shared their experiences and impressions from their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies with the visitors, mostly high school seniors and eighth-grade elementary school students. This Open Doors Day of FER has, traditionally, proven to be extremely informative, contributing to the promotion of studies and science. More photos from the event can be found below.

Dr. Lodovico Giaretta (RISE) was the first expert to visit UNIZG-FER from 8th to 10th November 2023 as part of the AIoTwin activities. Lodovico presented a series of three lectures with a special focus on Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and decentralized systems and shed light on these cutting-edge technologies. On November 8th, he gave a public talk entitled " Causal Temporal GNNs as Decentralized Memory Networks ," , co-organized by the IEEE Croatian Section,  which was open to the general public to provide a broad audience with a glimpse into the evolving landscape of GNNs and decentralized systems. In contrast, the following two presentations were tailored for members of the AIoTwin project, offering a more specific exploration of these cutting-edge technologies. Decentralised Data Mining using Gossip Protocols : This lecture introduced the broad family of Gossip Protocols and presented a detailed analysis of a few key use cases and specific techniques. Graph Representation Learning with Graph Neural Networks : This lecture introduced the broad topic of Graph Representation Learning (GRL), with a particular focus on Graph Neural Network (GNN) techniques. During the lectures Lodovico explored the foundational principles of GNNs, their diverse applications, and the inherent challenges associated with decentralized systems. Attendees gained a better understanding of the dynamic nature of graphs, the implications of temporal changes on algorithms, and the intricacies of decentralized inference in GNNs.

Are you interested in applying for a postdoctoral research fellowship in the field of AI and IoT or distributed systems in general? Candidates with a PhD degree can apply for a scholarship (EUR 3,625.00 per month, non-taxable) granted by the Croatian Science Foundation . Only citizens of the EU or a country associated with the Horizon Europe program can apply. A postdoc would work at FER under the supervision of Prof. Ivana Podnar Žarko , the AIoTwin coordinator, as a member of the IoTLab within the Twinning project - AIoTwin - funded by the Horizon Europe program from June 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025 (exact dates are flexible). The Croatian Science Foundation is accepting applications for this position until December 1. Contact Prof. Ivana Podnar Žarko < ivana.podnar@fer.hr> as soon as possible if you are interested.

The 1st AIoTwin Summer School was a 3-day event held at the historic St. John’s Fortress in Šibenik, Croatia, September 4-7, 2023. The event brought together participants from academia, both renowned experienced researchers and PhD students, to exchange ideas and learn about the latest advances at the intersection of AI and IoT. The summer school was organized by the AIoTwin consortium, a Horizon Europe project that aims to strengthen research and innovation excellence in AIoT in Croatia and other EU Member States.  Key highlights from the Summer School include:  Keynotes by Petar Šolić on alternative sensing, Danh Le Phuoc on using knowledge graphs to build perceptual IoT systems, Thiemo Voigt on the road to in body and battery-free IoT, and Alexander Artikis on complex event recognition.  Tutorials on LPWA protocols, the IMUNES network emulator for performance evaluation of edge deployments, orchestration aspects in distributed computing continuum systems, decentralized graph mining, successful PhD journey, and proposal writing and evaluation of collaborative Horizon Europe projects.  Hands-on sessions on federated learning for IoT edge devices using a small cluster of Jetson Nano and Xavier devices (specially transported from Berlin to Šibenik!) to jointly train models without sharing raw data, and on the framework for creating high-level Service Level Objectives (SLOs) to enforce them in cloud and edge environments.  PhD poster and pitch session where PhD students presented their research on a variety of innovative topics.  The event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to network with other experts in the field and to be inspired to pursue careers in AIoTwin research and development.  The AIoTwin consortium is committed to organizing future summer schools and other events to promote research and innovation in AIoT.