EBTIC, an ICT research and innovation center founded by
Khalifa University, Etisalat and BT, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) that will
allow the two groups to collaborate for several years.
The MoU came about after the groups showed a shared interest
in the adoption of big data in advanced predictive analytics. Additionally,
EBTIC’s UAE researchers, including Ahmed Al Dhanhani, have interned at IHMC in
the past.
“We were part of a team led by one of the principal
investigators in IHMC and we benefited greatly from this internship,” Al
Dhanhani said. “IHMC is a well-established research center and observing how
they work from the inside was insightful. We had meetings with different researchers
who are highly regarded on their areas and it was interesting to see how the
researchers come from very different backgrounds, including computer
scientists, mechanical engineers and medical doctors.”
IHMC is a global leader in researching new technologies that
extend human capabilities. In 2015, it won second place honors at the U.S.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, which is
an event focused on the creation of semi-autonomous ground robots.
“The partnership between EBTIC and IHMC is based on common
interest and approaches to innovation, and it stands to benefit both our center
and the UAE in many ways,” Dr. Samer Al Samahi, director of EBTIC, said.
“Especially through working together and cooperating in our research endeavors
in the fields of big data and advanced analytics, and promoting and conducting
scientific research relevant to challenges facing Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a
whole.”
