Challenge 2 initiates a research and innovation agenda, aiming to develop artificial systems operating in dynamic real life environments, reaching new levels of autonomy and adaptability and interacting in a symbiotic way with humans.
There is a strong focus on advanced robotics systems, given their potential to underpin the competitiveness of key manufacturing sectors in Europe and a wide range of innovative products and services across the economy, from home appliances to leisure, agriculture, transport and logistics, inspection and security in dynamic environments. Robotics provides us also with important means to address Europe's societal challenges in areas like environment, health and ageing15. The work will build on and extend past achievements in scientific research and will also introduce a significant new effort aiming at the widespread introduction of robotics technology in manufacturing and service sectors.
An additional research focus targeted under this challenge will address symbiotic human-machine relations, which aims at a deeper understanding of human behaviour during interaction with ICT, going beyond conventional approaches.
The work on cognitive systems and smart spaces and on symbiotic human-machine relations is not restricted to robotics.
The work will:
i) continue research to strengthen Europe's scientific and technical capital in this domain, by progressing advanced functionalities and cognitive capabilities of robotic systems and by extending this research to smart spaces and symbiotic human-machine interactions;
ii) introduce a special emphasis on systems integration, through use cases which exploit and support the uptake by industries of promising technologies on an international scale.
Support actions will address road-mapping (PPP preparation) and investigate opportunities for pre-commercial procurement (PCP), to prepare the research community for a fully-fledged research - innovation approach in Horizon 2020.
Objective ICT-2013.2.1 Robotics, Cognitive Systems & Smart Spaces, Symbiotic Interaction
Target Outcomes
RTD targets systems that can operate autonomously in the real world through e.g. scene and context understanding, anticipation and reaction / adaptation to changes, manipulation and navigation, as well as symbiotic human-machine relations.
• RTD will help to achieve breakthroughs in the introduction of robotics technology in diverse physical environments and in smart spaces (with energy efficiency improvements). Complementary RTD strands in the Target Outcomes listed below may be combined as appropriate, including through
15 In line with the goals of the European Innovation Partnerships such as the Active and Healthy
demonstration as well as methodological validation approaches and measures of progress (e.g. through suitable benchmarks).
• Foundational research will address cognitive systems and symbiotic human- machine interactions.
a) Intelligent robotics systems
RTD will address advanced robotics functionalities in e.g. manipulation / grasping, mobility and navigation, compliant actuation and locomotion, system-related challenges such as autonomy, adaptability, scalability and robustness in different types of environments, and interaction concerns such as safety, natural human-robot interaction and robot-robot cooperation. This will be achieved via new levels of capabilities in perception, understanding and action based on advanced sensori-motor systems. The robots will be of various shapes and sizes (from micro-robots to large size) and validated in real-life situations.
b) Cognitive systems and smart spaces
RTD will target advanced cognitive systems research, addressing key research bottlenecks and crucial cognitive capabilities which are missing today. Advances will be sought in sensing, perception, understanding, learning, reasoning and action (at appropriate levels of autonomy), including spatio-temporal cognition in real-world environments. This will need fundamental re-thinking of basic scientific methods and will build on emerging inter-disciplinary approaches.
RTD will also address smart spaces consisting of infrastructures (integrating sensors, actuators and processing), intelligent interfaces and robots which proactively support people in their everyday lives in domestic, professional and public environments. The emphasis will be on novel, intuitive, immersive interactions between the environment, objects in the environment, machines and users, individually or in groups.
c) Symbiotic human-machine interaction
Foundational research on symbiotic relations between humans and machines will aim at the design of new interactive technologies based on new theories and models of human cognition and emotion, non-rational decision-making, social behaviour and spatial and temporal perception and processing. RTD will also investigate the influence of such technologies on human behaviour and methods to promote positive co-evolution and co-adaptation of symbiotic systems.
Expected Impact
The overall impact expected is to contribute to an appropriate mix of the following: • help increase Europe's market share in industrial and service robots to reach
one third of market share by 2020, and improve the competitiveness of Europe in manufacturing sector.
• create a substantial upsurge in the involvement of key industry players, including SMEs and mid caps, in EU-level collaborative research, strengthening their links with academia.
• achieve scientific and technical excellence in terms of e.g. improved systems functionality, quality, performance and sustainability and degree of successful integration of such results into real-world scenarios.
• develop innovative concepts and prototypes of co-evolving technologies based on new theories and models and deeper understanding of human behaviour.
• achieve high levels of scientific publication as well as new PhDs and open source software releases or patents.
Funding Schemes a), b), c): IP, STREP
Indicative budget distribution
IP/STREP: EUR 67 million, of which minimum 52M€ for target a) and b), and minimum 10M€ for target c). Within these constraints, a minimum of 40% of the objective budget to IPs and 25% of the objective budget to STREPS.
Call
FP7-ICT-2013-10
Objective ICT-2013.2.2 Robotics use cases & Accompanying measures Target Outcomes
The main outcome is to stimulate innovation in robotics research at an EU level, thus accelerating the transition of scientific and technical research results into proof of concept, exploitable technology, prototypes and intellectual / industrial property. The primary focus on developing use-cases which target the emerging robotics service sector will be accompanied by strategic measures in road mapping, networking and outreach.
a) Use-cases in service robots
Projects will test and validate promising robotics applications, in terms of their potential take-up and operational deployment. Potential application areas will include societal challenges (e.g.: food production, maintenance and inspection, healthcare, security16) and professional services (e.g.: in agriculture & farming, logistics or cleaning), as well as new industry sectors which have not used robotics so far.
b) Robotics research roadmap coordination and socio-economic aspects
CSAs will develop strategic roadmaps with relevant stakeholders, building on current robotics research networks17 and supporting the EUROP technology platform in
preparing a robotics PPP, as well as supporting academia-industry collaboration. European interests in the relevant standardisation forums will be promoted. Work will also explore the socio-economic drivers and impact of robotics RTD, including market observation, ethical and legal issues and will identify opportunities and prepare the ground for pre-commercial procurement (PcP), including e.g. in robotics
16
The activities related to security are complementary to the 'Security' Theme of the FP7 Cooperation Programme
for search & rescue, public services (e.g.: security18 and inspection, cleaning, assistance), or intelligent logistics.
c) Robotics networking
CSAs will: establish flexible mechanisms to exchange knowledge and skills via e.g. new educational courses, summer schools or study visits, especially for young post- docs, within and beyond the EU; help identify new users and markets and new research areas through sector-based analysis; establish a strategy towards sustainable international cooperation in robotics, focussing initially on the United States.
d) Dissemination and Outreach
CSAs will: increase the general level of public awareness of robotics through public relations and outreach about Challenge 2, including targeted showcases.
Expected Impact
Use case projects and accompanying measures are all geared towards opening potential new markets in the emerging service robot sector. The actions will aim to achieve:
• Higher use of robotics and stronger levels of participation by EU companies – including those not yet active in EU settings – in industry and user-driven RTD in this domain.
• Successful technology transfer in terms of volume and scale of innovative products and services in the professional service areas described in a) above • Increased visibility of the programme to the European citizen via traditional
and new social media channels. Funding Schemes
a) STREP b), c), d) CSA
Topics in b), c) and d) may be covered by one or several CSAs as appropriate. Indicative budget distribution
- STREP: EUR 20 million - CSA : EUR 3 million Call:
- FP7-ICT-2013-10
18 The activities related to security are complementary to the 'Security' Theme of the FP7 Cooperation