Related Work

CommRob - Advanced behaviour and high-level multimodal communication with and among robots

This project will primarily advance the state of the art in high-level communication with and among robots. This communication will be based on a high-level discourse model derived from human communication. Rather than focusing on improvements of a single mode (like speech), communication will be multimodal and even involve behaviours (like movements and gestures) as well as their recognition for advanced Human-Robot Interaction. The discourse model will serve as a basis for advanced Robot-Robot Interaction as well. In effect, a major objective of this work is a unified communication approach. It will be implemented in a software platform for communication. Based on this advanced approach to communication, both close cooperation of robots with people and cooperating robots will be facilitated. Information exchange amongst robots about the status of the shared environment will make the navigation in cluttered areas more efficient and safe. While collaborative behaviour is important, several other issues related to advanced behaviour of robots in dynamic environments will be addressed as well: detection and avoidance of dynamic obstacles, self-localization based on landmarks, learning of a topological map indexed by these landmarks, as well as autonomous navigation based on topological and metrical information. So, a major objective of this work is to tackle more complex environments for robots as compared to previous work. For showing the feasibility of the proposed innovations, a prototype robot will be developed in the course of this project – a robot trolley. This robot will be a prototype for such trolleys to be used in supermarkets, airports, etc. In addition to carrying goods and to guide a user in a complex, structured and dynamic environment, it will have a second function as a walking aid. This function will support a challenged and/or elderly person to lean on the trolley while the walking pace is controlled to follow a user-determined setting.

NIFTi: Natural human-robot cooperation in dynamic environments

NIFTi is about human-robot cooperation. About teams of robots and humans acting together, performing tasks together, trying to reach a shared goal. Much research has gone into how robots could function autonomously, as part of such teams. Work on their own, moving around, executing their assignments. NIFTi complements this autonomy in operation, with a perspective on cooperation. Little has been said so far on how a robot could cooperate with a human. Not just having a human in the loop -- but actually bearing the human in mind, when determining what to do or say next, when, and how. This is where NIFTi comes in. NIFTi puts the human factor into cognitive robots.

ETHICBOTS - Emerging Technoethics of Human Interaction with Communication, Bionic, and robOTic systems

ETHICBOTS will promote and coordinate a multidisciplinary group of researchers into artificial intelligence, robotics, anthropology, moral philosophy, philosophy of science, psychology, and cognitive science, with the common purpose of identifying and analyzing techno-ethical issues concerning the integration of human beings and artificial (software/hardware) entities. Three kinds of integration will be analized: (a) Human-softbot integration, as achieved by AI research on information and communication technologies; (b) Human-robot, non-invasive integration, as achieved by robotic research on autonomous systems inhabiting human environments; (c) Physical, invasive integration, as achieved by bionic research.

JAST - Joint Action Science and Technology (FP6-003747)

ROBOSKIN

RoboSKIN will develop and demonstrate a range of new robot capabilities based on the tactile feedback provided by a robotic skin from large areas of the robot body. Up to now, a principled investigation of these topics has been limited by the lack of tactile sensing technologies enabling large scale experimental activities, since so far skin technologies and embedded tactile sensors have been mostly demonstrated only at the prototypal stage. The new capabilities will improve the ability of robots to operate effectively and safely in unconstrained environments and also their ability to communicate and co-operate with each other and with humans. To support this aim, one side of the RoboSKIN project focuses on the investigation of methods and technologies enabling the implementation of skin sensors that can be used with existing robots. The other side of the project develops new structures for representing and integrating tactile data with existing cognitive architectures in order to support skin-based cognition, behavior and communication.

ROSETTA - RObot control for Skilled ExecuTion of Tasks in natural interaction with humans; based on Autonomy, cumulative knowledge and learning (FP7-230902)

ROSETTA develops “human-centric” technology for industrial robots that will not only appear more human-like, but also cooperate with workers in ways that are safe and perceived as natural. Such robots will be programmed in an intuitive and efficient manner, making it easier to adapt them to new tasks when a production line is changed to manufacture a new product.

CARE - Coordination Action for Robotics in Europe (FP6)

The objective of CARE, is to coordinate the actions and initiatives in the field of robotics in Europe for the first three years of the Framework Programme 7 (FP7). CARE covers the complete robotics picture including industry, service (both professional and domestic), security and space.