17. July 2025.

How can AI-controlled drone swarms locate people more quickly in flood-affected areas? And do modern algorithms outperform traditional methods in quality control of metal surfaces? To explore these pressing questions, Prof. Marcin Hinz and doctoral candidate Jonas Strohhofer from the Institute for Mobility and Life in Motion (IMM) traveled to the ESREL SRA-E Conference, held from June 15 to 19, 2025, in Stavanger, Norway.

This year’s conference uniquely combined the technical expertise of the European Safety and Reliability Association with the interdisciplinary and societal perspective of the Society for Risk Analysis Europe. The central theme, “Advancing risk, safety and reliability sciences – from component, to system, to society,” emphasized a comprehensive approach to risk and resilience, spanning from individual components to entire societies.

Representing Munich’s IMM, the team presented two innovative research topics. Prof. Hinz showcased “UAV Swarm Coordination for Flood Area Coverage in Populated Regions using Reinforcement Learning,” a system where autonomous drone swarms systematically survey flooded areas to rapidly locate people at risk. Reinforcement learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, enables these drones to independently develop effective search strategies through trial and error.

Jonas Strohhofer presented “Traditional vs. AI-based Methods for Detection of Anomalies on Metal Surfaces,” comparing classical statistical techniques with state-of-the-art AI algorithms to detect defects in metal surfaces. The study aimed to objectively assess the accuracy and efficiency of these different approaches.

For Jonas Strohhofer, this conference marked his first scientific presentation and proved to be a highly enriching experience: “What I found most inspiring was the variety of topics and the valuable input I gained for my own project. Observing how other researchers tackle similar challenges sparked new ideas and demonstrated that multiple approaches can lead to success. This encourages me to experiment with innovative solutions.”

Through their contributions, the IMM researchers are advancing the understanding of risks and helping develop practical, forward-looking solutions for a safer and more resilient future.