Between March and June 2022, external organisations were invited to submit concrete project proposals. A total of 21 applications were received from a variety of sectors. This diverse portfolio highlights the pivotal role of AI as a cross-cutting technology with the potential to transform a wide range of industries in a lasting way. The submitted proposals were evaluated according to uniform criteria and implemented within the sandbox.

Play & Learn – A Sandbox to Strengthen the AI Ecosystem

With the Innovation Sandbox for AI, the Canton of Zurich provides companies with a safe framework to test and further develop AI applications under real-world conditions.

Regulating Autonomous Systems: Guidelines for Manufacturers

A growing number of autonomous systems such as self-driving tractors or lawn mowers will potentially be used in public spaces. In many cases, the general regulatory environment in areas such as standardization, admission to public roads or data protection are not clear to manufacturers. This project is focused on developing comprehensive guidelines that provide manufacturers with an overview of the most relevant factors.

Infrastructure Maintenance Using Drones: Technological Feasibility of Runway Inspections

Maintenance of infrastructure, such as bridges, roads or pylons, is often carried out by human staff. Many of the tasks involved are time-consuming and, in some cases, dangerous. This project is centred on creating high-resolution drone images to detect cracks and damage on airport runways.

Automated Corrections: Legal Bases for AI Apps in Education

Education is increasingly supported by AI, including at elementary level. The basic legal parameters , e.g. in the domain of data protection, are to some extent unclear to providers, teachers, parents and pupils. This project focuses on clarifying the legal bases for use of image recognition for the automated correction of handwritten schoolwork .

Machine Translations: Recommendations for Public Administration

Many public administration offices deal with multiple languages in their daily work. The potential for machine translations is significant. As their work often involves sensitive information and use of specific technical terminology, the question arises as to whether generic and publicly accessible translation tools may and should be used. This project focuses oncoming up with recommendations for the use of machine translation. The case studies stem from the Commercial Register Office and the Integration Office.

Smart Parking in Cities: Best Practices for Privacy by Design

Parking management is a highly significant challenge for many cities and municipalities. Relevant data on utilization and occupancy of parking spaces is often lacking, which hinders informed decision-making on traffic planning or the introduction of parking guidance systems. AI-based image recognition can create the necessary data basis for this. In this project, privacy-by-design measures are being developed for the responsible use of camera systems in public spaces.