European cool robots

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."

Romania is the country with the lowest penetration level in the EU ;)

Yes, it's confirmed!

The European Commission considers that: Romania is the country with the lowest penetration level in the EU.In January 2012, the penetration rate of fixed broadband is 15.2% of the population below the EU average of 27.7% and Mobile broadband penetration in Romania (14.1%) is the lowest in the EU!

Detailed statistics for Romania are being published in the context of the Digital Agenda programme implementation.

The Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) programme aims to reboot Europe's economy and help Europe's citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital technologies. It is the first of seven flagships initiatives under Europe 2020, the EU's strategy to deliver smart sustainable and inclusive growth.

EU budget - myth busted !!!

In the context of the European Council decision to reduce the 2014-2020 EU budget and the on-going negotiations on European budgetary cuts, the European Commission launches more communication campaigns addressing the EU budget (multi-annual financial programming, spending justification and budget lifecycle transparency). See also my previous post: Is the EU budget well spent?

The new campaign is very citizen-friendly and busts multiple EU budget related myths:

Myth: The EU budget is enormous!

Myth: The EU budget is constantly on the rise – whereas national governments reduce their spending!

Myth: The bulk of EU expenditure goes into administration!

Myth: The EU budget is riddled with fraud!

Myth: The EU budget is decided by Eurocrats without any democratic procedures!

Myth: The EU costs too much!

Myth: The EU finances silly projects like dog training centres or Elton John concerts!

Myth: The Commission wants to introduce a direct EU tax and increase the tax burden on citizens!

Myth: Most of the EU budget goes to farmers!

Myth: Cohesion policy is an expensive charity!

Download also the "EU Spending - a myth-buster" brochure.

500 EU Information Centres inform 500 million citizens across Europe

The Europe Direct Information Centers (EDIC), since their creation - 4 years ago, received about 3.3 million personal enquiries, organised more than 41,000 events and answered more than a million e-mails.

Today, the European Commission the European Parliament launched a new generation of "Europe Direct Information Centres". The new network will extend possibilities for citizens to get practical information and advice on exercising rights in the European Union.

Read more in the press release about the statistics and activities of these centres, considered "the public face, the eyes, ears and mouth of our policies and of the rights of citizens on the ground".

Romania are 31 de centre EDIC, locul 6 in functie de numarul total de centre in Europa!

Statistic vorbind, centrele din Romania, in 2012:

• au inchis 37.000 de apeluri (aproape 4% din totalul de tichete deschise in toate cele 500 de centre);
• au produs 900 de publicatii (locul 2 !!! in functie de numarul de publicatii produse de o tara UE, dupa Spania);
• si organizat vreo 250 de evenimente.

Bravo!