Peter van Lith

Background

About Peter van Lith

Peter van Lith started working in ICT in 1964. He built his own computer in 1968 and became interested in Artificial Intelligence. From 1977 to 1979 he was responsible for the ICT of the large Hirab project in Saudi Arabia and here he first applied his interest in AI. In 1980 he started using AI technology and was the first one to build an Expert System in the Netherlands. In 1984 he founded Lithp Systems, specialising in AI and later in Robotics. He developed the Lisp based ES development environment Acquaint and created over 15 Expert Systems. During the 90's he developed walking robots starting with a six-legged walker, followed by the 4-legged Dappie robot dog and the 2-legged Stepper robot. These robots were the inspiration for the biped robots of the leg-lab of the TU Delft. He became a guest lecturer at the TU Delft, University of Amsterdam and Free University of Amsterdam and helped teachers to set up robotics projects at school. In 2004 he founded RoboCupJunior in the Netherlands and has served on the Soccer TC for several years. He was the chair of the RCJ LOC for the World Championships in 2013. He developed a learning line for robotics in lower and middle grade schools that has been in use in over 90 schools. Currently he is a member of the Tech United robot soccer team where he develops deep learning software for the Turtle robots of the TU/e. His research focuses on modeling the behavior of competing teams on a symbolic level, combining knowledge engineering with deep learning. As a Parkinson patient he is currently using his knowledge about AI, sensors and walking robots to objectively measure his own movement disorders. He is developing a wearable sensor, using Force Myography (FMG) to meaure the progression of his balancing behaviour. At the RoboCup WC 2024 in Eindhoven he was awarded a Royal Knighthood in the order of Oranje Nassau.