Located in the beautiful peninsula near Shushan Lake, west suburb of Hefei, Anhui, China, Institute of Intelligent Machines (IIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences was founded on October 1979, as a successor to the former East China Institute of Components and Instruments for Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which was established in the 1950' s. IIM has become one of national research centers on sensor technology and artificial intelligence since the continuous efforts of several generation's scientists . A high quality research team has been setup. There are over 50 scientists and technical staffs in IIM. In addition, 200 postgraduate students are studying for their doctor and master degrees. IIM provides a doctor's degree training program, “ Pattern Recognition and Intelligent Systems”, and two master's degree training programs “Pattern Recognition and Intelligent systems” and “ Instrumentation Technology and Automatic Devices”. The International Journal of Information Acquisition and the Chinese journal Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence are sponsored and co-sponsored by IIM.

Since its foundation, IIM has been undertaking many research projects from National Science and Technology Research Program and National “ 863” High Technology Program. The institute has gained nearly 1000 items of research accomplishment and more than 400 achievements have been obtained. Great importance is attached to international co-operation and academic exchange, thus good relationship has been established with other countries or areas, such as, the United States , Japan , the U.K. , Canada , France , etc. With our rising scientific reputation, we have successively hosted many national and international conferences, such as Pacific-Asian Conference on Expert Systems, International Conference on Information Acquisition, etc.

In order to develop high-tech enterprises and strengthen the transformation & industrialization of the research products, IIM has co-founded Anhui Zhongke Intelligent High-Tech Co., Ltd., Inco Intelligent Control Co., Ltd., USTC Chuangxin Co., Ltd., Rongshida Keyuan Sensor System and Engineering Co. Ltd. and Aleph Intelligent Co. Ltd. etc.

Taking biomimetic sensing and control, intelligent information system as research direction, our pioneering work focuses on the biomimetic sensing and intelligence. The biomimetic sensing system aims to the ultimate objective of information acquisition, systematically studies the mechanisms and principles of machine sensing, sensors, sensitive and sensing material. With biomimetic sensing robot and human-computer interaction system being breakthrough point, special sensors and sensing control system are produced which integrates optics, micro/nano technology and various sensing systems of strength sense, tactile sense, vision, olfactory sense, audition etc. The multi-knowledge fusion intelligent decision method and knowledge representation of the multi-system compatibility characterize intelligent information system, so as to construct the digital agriculture intelligence system and supervisory system of antiterrorism and production security. It will play a critical role in the relevant fields so and make our research on intelligence information system enter into the international advanced ranks.

With our comprehensive innovation, we have been working on the frontier of biomimetic sensing robotic, digital agriculture intelligent information system, micro/nano sensors, disaster and security pre-alarming system, intelligent control and applications of administrating technology system, so as to set up a world-class competitive technological group of top-notch, highly reputable scientists, principally consisting of young people IIM strives to build itself into a national-level research base for intelligent sensor system and intelligent agriculture information technology at advanced international level, a training centre for innovative talents, a technical radiant point of high-tech industries and social public welfare, and a modernized research institute with a firm goal, unique advantages, and world-level facilities.(more)