Joris Guerin, an Arts et Métiers engineer, is currently working on a thesis on artificial intelligence at LLaboratory of Engineering of Physical and Digital Systems (LISPEN).
JORIS' JOURNEY, FROM PREPARATORY SCHOOL TO DOCTORATE
After attending a preparatory school in Lyon, Joris Guerin enrolled at Arts et Métiers the Cluny campus in 2012. With a strong interest in mathematics, Joris chose to join Texas Tech for his third year. His master's degree was funded by NASA, for whom he carried out a mathematics-related research project. He sought to develop an algorithm to optimize the space of a space shuttle by working on its design. Once he had obtained his Master's degree in 2015, he returned to France to pursue a PhD. The Laboratory of Physical and Digital Systems Engineering (LISPEN) offered him the opportunity to write a thesis on artificial intelligence, for which he received a scholarship fromtheArts et Métiers doctoral school.
A THESIS ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
"My thesis is divided into two areas," explains Joris. "First, I am looking to make robots accessible to everyone." The doctoral student explains, "The robot, equipped with a camera, will capture a movement and then attempt to reproduce it on its own through training." This means that users will only have to mimic a movement to program their robot.
The second focus of Joris' thesis revolves around unsupervised sorting. Currently, in order to sort objects, they must already be known, and the technician specifies in advance what the robot should do with the objects. Joris' thesis consists of no longer telling the robot what to do, but letting it sort objects that are, this time, unknown.
A THESIS IN FRANCE AND THE UNITED STATES?
Joris chose to return to France to complete his thesis primarily because of its practical nature. "The United States is very good at theory, but less so at putting its theories into practice. Here, especially at Arts et Métiers, there is an industrial spirit that makes you want to design things that work beyond a publication in a magazine." Indeed, with access to the robotics platform at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille, Joris has the opportunity to test his theories.
Joris nevertheless conducted some research for his thesis in the United States. He explains, "The United States is two, even three, years ahead of France in the field of artificial intelligence. So it was essential for me to go there to work on my doctorate." Joris traveled to Atlanta from August 2017 to April 2018, a trip partly funded by the Arts et Métiers Foundation.
Today, he is finishing writing his thesis at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille. He will defend his thesis in December 2018. Once he has obtained his doctorate, he hopes to begin an academic career.
