The fusion of neuroscience and robotics for augmenting human capabilities

Objective

The ultimate objective of the NEUROBOTICS project is very ambitious, yet clear and well defined: to introduce a discontinuity in the robot design, thus going literally "Beyond Robotics". This discontinuity will be pursued by a strategic alliance between Neuroscience and Robotics, which will go well beyond present, mostly fragmented, collaborations, and lead to overcome state-of-the-art of robotics worldwide.

The scientific, technological and cultural environment in Europe is mature to face this challenge, whose impact in engineering and medicine could be comparable to that recognized to "big science" projects. NEUROBOTICS will systematically explore the area of Hybrid Bionic Systems (HBSs) and will deeply investigate the theme of human augmentation. Starting from the most advanced state of the art in neuroscience, NEUROBOTICS will aim at developing new integrated robotic artefacts, as much biomorphic as required to be effectively interfaced with human body and brain.

Three robotic platforms featuring different levels of hybridness (i.e. mechanical coupling with the human body) and of connectivity (to the human nervous system) will be developed to be used in experiments on human augmentation: biomimetic scalable artefacts to be remotely controlled by human operator; intelligent wearable artefacts loosely physically coupled with the human body; arm-hand sub-systems tightly physically coupled with the human body. NEUROBOTICS will provide general answers on how the field of human augmentation can be approached with methods, tools, and aims that have a solid scientific foundation, keeping into account the ethical and societal perspective.

The "heritage" of NEUROBOTICS will be the kernel of a new community of European researchers, with strong links to non-European top scientists (e.g. in US and Japan), able to dominate the scientific, technical, industrial, societal and ethical aspects of this novel discipline and to exploit it to the benefit of the EU citizens.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › robotics
• natural sciences › biological sciences › neurobiology

Programme(s)

• FP6-IST - Information Society Technologies: thematic priority under the specific programme "Integrating and strengthening the European research area" (2002-2006).

Topic(s)

• IST-2002-2.3.4.2 - FET pro-actives

Funding Scheme

IP - Integrated Project

Coordinator

SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO SANT'ANNA

Address

Piazza Martiri Della Liberta, 33
56127 Pisa
Italy

Participants (16)

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

France

Address

3, Rue Michel-ange
75794 Paris Cedex 16

COLLEGE DE FRANCE

France

Address

11, Place Marcelin Berthelot
75005 Paris

DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT E.V.

Germany

Address

Linder Hoehe
51147 Koeln

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

Germany

Address

Hansastrasse 27C
80686 Muenchen

KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET

Sweden

Address

Solnavaegen 1
171 77 Solna Stockholm

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN

Belgium

Address

Oude Markt 13
3000 Leuven

KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN

Sweden

Address

Valhallavaegen 79
100 44 Stockholm

NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS

Greece

Address

9, Heroon Polytechniou Str.
15773 Athens

PONTEDERA AND TECNOLOGIA SOCIETA' CONSORTILE A RESPONSABILITA' LIMITATA

Italy

Address

Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 7
56025 Pontedera

UMEA UNIVERSITET

Sweden

Address

C/o Ekonomi Adm Enheten
901 87 Umea

UNIVERSITA "CAMPUS BIO-MEDICO" DI ROMA

Italy

Address

Via Emilio Longoni 83
00155 Roma

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FERRARA

Italy

Address

Via Savonarola 9
44100 Ferrara

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA

Italy

Address

Via Balbi 5
16126 Genova

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PARMA

Italy

Address

Via Universita 12
43100 Parma

UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA

Spain

Address

Campus Universitari S/n
08290 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola Del Valles)

UNIVERSITE PARIS VI

France

Address

Place Jussieu 4
75252 Paris Cedex 05