Artificial Intelligence Lab-Fundamental Industry Training Center, Tsinghua University

The rapid development of the computer network and the large-scale application of computing devices, especially the popularity of mobile Internet and intelligent terminals, as well as the internet-connected physical hardware systems and artificial intelligence technology based on big data cloud-computing has led to a new trend of technology and given birth to a new ecology of “Smart Hardware”. In this context, intelligent systems, such autonomous robots, self-driving cars, unmanned aircrafts and so on, will continue to be put into real use, bringing profound impact upon industrial manufacturing and design process.

Thanks to this constellation of factors, the ideal of the Intelligent System Laboratory was conceived and the Laboratory established in 2015.

1. Positioning of Functions
Positioned to meet the need in teaching and scientific research in information technology and industrial technique based on Internet Plus, the laboratory not only transfers knowledge but also develops undergraduates’ abilities to conduct scientific and research work. It also participates in some social work to support innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. There are 4 main courses led by the lab that are Big Data and Machine Intelligence, Intelligent Hardware and Intelligent System, Virtual Reality and Content Production and Creditable Computing and 7 common courses including Introduction to Industry – Most Powerful Brain, Experiments Course – Intelligent Q&A System etc. More than 1,200 students studies here each year.

2. Laboratory Components
Currently, the Intelligent System Laboratory takes up an area of more than 100 square meters, including the Data Center that provides computing resources with fixed asset worth about RMB 1.5 million and funding money over RMB 5 million in 2016 for committed constructions.
The Data Center is equipped with the following:
– switch
2 10Gb switches, a dozen of access-class switches
– CPU cluster
60 high-performance servers: Intel Xeon 8 core processor, 128GB memory storage, 16TB hard disk
– GPU cluster
50 workstations, 128GB of memory storage, NVidia GPU GTX TitanX graphic card

3. Laboratory Team
There are a total of 8 team members, including 1 with a doctoral degree, 2 with master’s degrees and 5 engineers and technical team members.

Members of Smart System Laboratory

4. Teaching Tasks
The laboratory actively participates in the Center’s information technology projects, including the construction of the data center, the wireless network, the video surveillance system and so on. Its aim is to build an information platform featuring innovative services to support the center for its teaching and research work. Internet plus based teaching platforms such as Tsinghua Industrial Cloud iCenter-Cloud have already been built.

5. Achievements
A total of 113 papers have been published, of which 18 have been included in SCI collection and 86 in EI collection as well as 11 patents that have been granted. One project won the 1st prize while another one won the 3rd prize in the Experimental Technology Achievement Award of Tsinghua University. Two projects won the 2nd prize in the Laboratory Construction Contribution Award of Tsinghua University. Another two projects were included in the Undergraduate Teaching Reform Project. There was another project that won the 2nd prize in the Technological Invention of the Chinese Institute of Electronics (CIE) (at the provincial and ministerial level). The 1st prize of the Excellent SRT Program of Tsinghua University have been awarded to 2 projects and the 2nd prize to 3 other projects. Furthermore, 13 projects on students guidance have been included in the National-level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students and Beijing municipal-level Scientific Research and Entrepreneurial Action Plan for College Students

Tsinghua Industrial Cloud Platform