The EU Robotics Week 2013 has just started!
The European Commission
funds over 100 collaborative projects under the 7th Framework Programme on
advanced research into robots. The projects aim at helping robots better
understand the world around them through sensing, perception, understanding,
reasoning and action.
Here are some examples of the best EU-funded Robotics projects:
• RoboHow –
Can a robot learn to make pancakes on its own? The project enables robots to learn on their own how to
carry out tasks in human working and living environments by finding
instructions online or by observing humans doing them. The goal is to
develop robots that can help people in everyday activities, as well as to find
out to what extent a robot can learn by itself.
• RADHAR – Self-Driving. Driving
a wheelchair can be difficult and very tiring. As a result, the user may
over-steer the wheelchair or not have enough strength to steer it. The RADHAR
(Robotic ADaptation to Humans Adapting to Robots) project has developed an
intelligent wheelchair that enables people with cognitive or physical
challenges to independently drive around in an everyday-life environment.
• Stiff-Flop - A Surgical Robot based on an Elephant's
Trunk. This robotic arm could be
used in keyhole surgery, as it is able to adjust its texture and stiffness to
organs inside the human body; it can soften to get through narrow passages and
then stiffen again when needed avoiding damage to soft tissue.
• STRANDS - The Last Robot Standing Wins! STRANDS is an EU-funded project enabling robots to achieve
robust and intelligent behaviour in human environments.
• ROBOFOOT – Robots bring manufacturing back to Europe. The industry for hand-made fashion shoes is one of the
important industries in Europe, which faced intense competition from low-cost
countries. The EU-funded ROBOFOOT project showed that robots can also be
introduced in traditional footwear industry, maintaining most of the current
production facilities and help Europe's footwear industry.
I'll end with a quote from Emil Cioran:
"Man is a robot with defects."