AI speaks Hessian as Hesse's state festival puts robotics and dialect at centre stage
At the Hessentag in Fulda, a talking AI head named Hermann greets visitors in the local Hessian dialect while a robot dog performs tricks and a humanoid robot sings. The 'KI-Welt' exhibition has quickly become the star attraction of this year's state festival.
The Hessentag, Hesse's annual state festival, is underway in Fulda under near-ideal weather, drawing steady but not overcrowded crowds along the three-kilometre Hessentagsstraße.
AI world takes centre stage
Inside the Konzepthaus Karl, the 'KI-Welt' (AI World) exhibit has emerged as a visitor magnet. The centrepiece is Hermann, a speaking AI head developed by the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen.
The system speaks 40 languages; five are offered at the festival, including a Hessian dialect version.Ei Gude, isch bin de Herrmann aus Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen. Was darf's denn sei?
Robots entertain young and old
A robot dog delights audiences by wagging its tail, sitting up and giving a paw. The German Red Cross presents Pepper, a humanoid robot already deployed in senior centres.
Pepper then launches into a song: "So ein Tag, so wunderschön wie heute."I enjoy talking to people. I can play, read, sing and stay active with you.
Hands-on science and family fun
Doctoral student Jasmin Spaar from TH Mittelhessen guides visitors through a lung endoscopy using a real pig lung and a flexible camera tube. The festival also features a dedicated family area with bouncy castles, a straw-bale climbing pyramid, slides and a self-service ferry across a small pond.
Food, music and 1,200 free events
Stalls offer local fare, with a portion of fries costing four euros. Organisers have scheduled 1,200 free events across multiple stages, from concerts to interactive shows. The opening day brought rain, but the following day saw ideal conditions, leaving the route busy but rarely congested.
