EU Funding Opportunities Workshop

Special Invited Workshop*
Thursday, October 11, 2012, afternoon 14h00-18h30
The workshop homepage and materials are available here.

Robotics use cases & Accompanying Measures

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, security/16/) 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 networks/17 /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 for search & rescue, public services (e.g.: security/18 /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 postdocs, 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.

Organizers:

Cécile HUET, PhD
Project Officer - European Commission
Directorate-General CONNECT - Unit Robotics -- A2
Rue Alcide de Gasperi, EUFO 2260 - L-2920 Luxembourg
Phone : +352-4301-36088 / Sec.: +352-4301-38430 / Fax : +352 4301 33530
cecile.huet@ec.europa.eu - Website: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/cognition

Libor Kral
Head of Unit
European Commission
DG CONNECT
Unit A2 - Robotics
tel. +352 4301 35878
fax +352 4301 33530
email: libor.kral@ec.europa.eu

*(attendance is free for all registered for the main conference)

Thursday, October 11, 2012, afternoon 14h00-18h30

• 14h00-14h20: EC presentation

Use cases in service robotics and Accompanying measures - Cécile Huet - EC

• 14h20-16h00: Accompanying Measures + 1 Use case;
• 14h20-14h35: The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Robotics
  Rainer Bischoff– KUKA and Herman Bruyninckx - KULeuven;
• 14:35-14:50: Sector based analysis: PPP findings
  Geoff Pegman - R.U.Robots Limited;
• 14:50-15:05: INCO: establish a strategy towards sustainable international cooperation in robotics
  Bruno Siciliano - University of Naples; and
  Henrik Christensen - Georgia Institute of Technology;
• 15:05-15:20: Dissemination and Outreach: increase the general level of public awareness of robotics through public relations and outreach about Challenge 2, including targeted showcases - explaining the challenges to reach out raising interest for various types of audiences without creating false hope,...
  Andrew Stothert, Brand Vista;
• 15:20-15:40: Eurobarometer Survey on Public Attitudes towards Robots Bjoern Juretzki - EC;
• 15:40-15:55: Inspection - Lorenzo Marconi - University of Bologna;
• COFFE BREAK + DEMONSTRATION: CONCEPT OF AERIAL INSPECTION ROBOT
• 16h15-18h30: Use Cases (cont'd)
• 16:15-16:30: Strategic automation in European manufacturing industry: how to transform the European manufacturing industry into a competitive and sustainable local-based industry for the future - Danish experience
  Kurt Nielsen from Danish Technological Institute;
• 16:30-16:45: Maintenance/Cleaning: Dustbot, Robotown and beyond
  Paolo Dario/Cecilia Laschi - Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna;
• 16:45-17:00: Healthcare - Paolo Fiorini - University of Verona - EuroSurge coordinator;
• 17:00-17:15: Cleaning, security, other - David Bisset - iTechnicLtd;
• 17:15-17:30: Agriculture and Farming
  Yael Edan - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev;
• 17:30-17:45: Logistics
  Henrik Christensen - Georgia Institute of Technology;
• 17:45-18:00: Additional examples - Geoff Pegman R.U.Robots Limited;
• 18:00-18:30: Q&A - Discussion.