Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

FAME: OPEN-ENDED MANIPULATION TASK LEARNING WITH FAME (FUTURE-ORIENTED COGNITIVE1 ACTION MODELLING ENGINE)

Project description

Enabling robots to contextualise underdetermined manipulation task requests

The formidable challenge of creating computational models for versatile manipulation tasks, applicable to any object and purpose, would revolutionise AI and robotics. The ERC-funded FAME project aims to equip robots with a KR&R framework based on machine-interpretable inner-world models, enabling them to contextualise underdetermined manipulation task requests on the first attempt. The project will design, implement, and evaluate the future-orientated cognitive action modelling engine (FAME), a hybrid symbolic/sub-symbolic KR&R framework. The project aims to achieve the modelling and parameterisation of manipulation motion patterns, the ability to mentally simulate imagined and observed manipulation tasks, and the on-demand acquisition of task-specific causal models for novel manipulation tasks through mental physics-based simulations.

Objective

The realization of computational models for accomplishing everyday manipulation tasks for any object and any purpose would be a
disruptive breakthrough in the creation of versatile, general-purpose robot agents; and it is a grand challenge for AI and robotics.
Humans are able to accomplish tasks such as “cut up the fruit” for many types of fruit by generating a large variety of context-specific
manipulation behaviors. They can typically accomplish the tasks on the first attempt despite uncertain physical conditions and novel
objects. Acting so effectively requires comprehensive reasoning about the possible consequences of intended behavior before
physically interacting with the real world.
In the FAME project, I will investigate the research hypothesis that a knowledge representation and reasoning (KR&R) framework
based on explictly-represented and machine-interpretable inner-world models can enable robots to contextualize underdetermined
manipulation task requests on the first attempt. To this end, I will design, implement, and evaluate FAME (Future-oriented cognitive
Action Modelling Engine), a hybrid symbolic/subsymbolic KR&R framework that will contextualize actions by reasoning symbolically
in an abstract and generalized manner but also by reasoning with “one’s eyes and hands” through mental simulation and imagistic
reasoning. Realizing FAME requires three breakthrough research results:
(1) modelling and parameterization of manipulation motion patterns and understanding the resulting effects under
uncertain conditions;
(2) the ability to mentally simulate imagined and observed manipulation tasks to link them to the robot’s knowledge and experience;
and
(3) the on-demand acquisition of task-specific causal models for novel manipulation tasks through mental physics-based simulations.
To assess the power and feasibility of FAME, I will use open manipulation task learning as a benchmark challenge.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2022-ADG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

UNIVERSITAET BREMEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 499 063,00
Address
Bibliothekstrasse 1
28359 Bremen
Germany

See on map

Region
Bremen Bremen Bremen, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 499 063,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0