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European and Chinese Platform for Robotics and Applications

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EU-China cooperation to further robotics research

An EU initiative brought together European and Chinese researchers to advance the challenging field of robotics.

Digital Economy icon Digital Economy
Industrial Technologies icon Industrial Technologies
Fundamental Research icon Fundamental Research

The EU-funded ECROBOT (European and Chinese platform for robotics and applications) project set out to establish a long-term research cooperation platform between Europe and China in robotics, with promising applications in scientific, industrial and domestic sectors. An international research staff exchange scheme between European and Chinese research institutions was set up to develop new technologies and applications in the field of robotics across macro-, micro- and nanoscales. Researchers investigated robotic technologies in sensing and actuation, cognition and control, and human-robot interaction. They developed exploitable techniques for industrial robots, service robots, and micro- and nanohandling robots. Specifically, these methods support localisation for mobile robots, mobile sensor networks, structure light-based vision, and more controllable probe holder and laser holder of atomic force microscopes and magnetic force microscopes for nanohandling. Cognition and human-robot interaction focused on the recognition of human intention, human motion modelling and automated robot ontology. Robot control concentrated on automatic unmanned aerial vehicle control. A literature review presented technology development trends for healthcare robots over the next 5-, 10- and 15-year periods. The ECROBOT team published more than 90 research papers, and organised several conferences, workshops and seminars to disseminate project outcomes. In addition, they obtained six patents in nanohandling and measuring. Project partners collaborated in further funding applications at both EU and national levels. The synergistic effect arising between the EU and China should boost the potential for major scientific and technological breakthroughs.

Keywords

Robotics, ECROBOT, research staff exchange, robots, nanohandling, microscopes

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