The Cognitive Vision Lab (CoViL) focusses on the understanding of the human visual and cognitive system and the development of artificial systems with similar structure and strength. So far, only biological systems show strong cognitive capabilities such as object categorisation, advanced reasoning, planning and communication. Based on an elaborated stage of 'early cognitive vision', CoViL aims at the modelling of such cognitive functions in embodied systems.

The early cognitive vision system we have developped computes semantically rich, reliable and task independent visual information from stereo image sequences. We have been applying this system in a number of contexts ranging from cognitive research to industrial applications. In particular, CoViL is currently partner in the two EU projects PACO+ and Drivsco. PACO+ (2006-2010) focusses on the modelling of cognitive processes in the area of humanoid robotics while Drivsco (2006-2009) is concerned with learning in the driver assistance domain. CoViL is also involved in a number of Danish projects in the area of industrial robotics (Handyman,MoveBot) and image analysis (NISA). New projects starting autumn 2009 are concerned with intelligent robots grasping flexible objects (2009-2012) as well as Bin--Picking (2009-2012).

As a by-product of our research, we developed a new form of digital art (called 'Symbolic Pointillism') that makes functional processes in the brain explicit.