EuroCC Montenegro

Mr Igor Culafic, a student at the Faculty of applied sciences, defended his BSc thesis titled “Quadruped robot with integrated self-balancing and AI capabilities”. Igor received support from UDG to build the robot and implement experimenting with AI and ML for this robot platform.

ABSTRACT – This paper presents the development of a quadruped robot equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for mapping the environment and adapting to various terrains and surfaces for movement. The project is inspired by the Spot Robot Dog project by the Boston Dynamics team, utilizing one of the versions of the open-source project known as Spot Micro, specifically using the branch project named Nova SM3. The complexity of this endeavour lies in the integration of electronics, robotics, and artificial intelligence, requiring expertise in AI model training, soldering, 3D printing, programming, and robotics. This multidisciplinary initiative represents a synthesis of knowledge acquired during studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing of the University of Donja Gorica, serving as a comprehensive demonstration of applied engineering skills and an innovative approach to robotics.

Ms. Sara Kovacevic defended her BSc thesis on the use of AI tools to create a hotel chat bot receptionis for smart hospiality. This research was doen in the context of HPC4S3ME with the support from NCC Montengro an HPC4S3ME. The results were pulished at the IEEE IT2024 conference. The future work will include experimenting with HPC to run different AI tools and models. Her fefence took place on 3 October 2024.

ABSTRACT – The aim of this thesis is to examine the advancements and applications of chatbots in hotels to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency in Montenegro, which aspires to become a prestigious tourist destination. Emphasis is placed on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and high-performance computing (HPC) to develop advanced digital solutions. The automation of guest communication through chatbots reduces the burden on staff and increases customer satisfaction, especially during the tourist season when there are significant fluctuations in the number of visitors. The research analyzes key aspects of implementing chatbot technology, including the challenges and benefits of using the Voiceflow platform for development and testing. It studies data on guest preferences and service personalization, contributing to a better understanding of user needs and tailoring hotel offerings to meet their expectations. The thesis advises further optimization of chatbot functionalities, staff training, and regular collection of guest feedback. These recommendations enable Montenegrin hotels to improve their offerings and stand out in the global market competition. This work represents an important contribution to the advancement of digital solutions in Montenegro and can serve as a starting point for future research.

Mr. Igor Radulovic defended his BSc thesis on computer vision and machine learning for creating a prediction model for sign language. The defence took place on 3 October at UDG. This effort was inspired by the AI4S3 course and was supported by mentors from NCC Montenegro and HPC4S3ME team.

ABSTRACT – This thesis explores the use of advanced computer vision and machine learning techniques to develop a system that enables the translation of sign language into speech or written text in real time. The project aims to facilitate the communication of deaf-mute people with people who do not know sign language, in order to overcome language barriers and improve the social status of deaf-mute people in society. Using technologies such as Google Colab, Python, Roboflow, VS Code and Detectron2, a system was developed that recognizes various American Sign Language (ASL) gestures and converts them into understandable information. The system is based on deep neural networks and processes such as model training and instance segmentation, in order to achieve a high level of accuracy and reliability. Through the evaluation of the results, an impressive performance of the model was achieved with an F1 result of 95.6%, while the challenges in the technical limitations remained an important point of future development. This work points to the significant social impact of the application of computer vision in the communication of deaf and mute people, enabling them to integrate and be present in modern society.

Ms. Jovana Mitric defended her BSc thesis at the Faculty for information sciences and technologies on 3 October, 2024. The topoc was on AI and machine learning for applications in cultural heritage preservation. This research was done in the context of HPC4S3ME project and was supported by the NCC Montenegro team. The future work will explore the use of HPC and expanded datasets to refine and train better models for monuments detection and providing support for Montenegrin tourism development. This work was also successfully presented at the IEEE IT2024 conference.

ABSTRACT – This thesis presents research on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and their potential application in the preservation of cultural heritage, with a special focus on Montenegro. Computer vision, as a specific field of artificial intelligence, was explored. The paper addresses the implementation of modern technologies, specifically computer vision, in the field of cultural tourism to enhance the visibility and preservation of cultural monuments. By using available tools such as the Roboflow platform for image annotation and Google Colaboratory for model training, a web application was developed using the Flask framework, which recognizes cultural
monuments based on images, powered by the YOLO v8 model. Additionally, the thesis discusses the broader context of AI applications in the preservation of cultural heritage and its promotion for tourism purposes, with particular emphasis on the potential for technological enhancement of Montenegro’s tourism offerings. The importance of digital transformation in tourism for Montenegro and its positioning in the global tourism market is highlighted.