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Safe Robot Navigation in Dense Crowds

Objective

CROWDBOT will enable mobile robots to navigate autonomously and assist humans in crowded areas. Today’s robots are programmed to stop when a human, or any obstacle is too close, to avoid coming into contact while moving. This prevents robots from entering densely frequented areas and performing effectively in these high dynamic environments. CROWDBOT aims to fill in the gap in knowledge on close interactions between robots and humans during navigation tasks. The project considers three realistic scenarios: 1) a semi-autonomous wheelchair that must adapt its trajectory to unexpected movements of people in its vicinity to ensure neither its user nor the pedestrians around it are injured; 2) the commercially available Pepper robot that must navigate in a dense crowd while actively approaching people to assist them; 3) the under development robot cuyBot will adapt to compact crowd, being touched and pushed by people. These scenarios generate numerous ethical and safety concerns which this project addresses through a dedicated Ethical and Safety Advisory Board that will design guidelines for robots engaging in interaction in crowded environments.
CROWDBOT gathers the required expertise to develop new robot capabilities to allow robots to move in a safe and socially acceptable manner. This requires achieving step changes in a) sensing abilities to estimate the crowd motion around the robot, b) cognitive abilities for the robot to predict the short term evolution of the crowd state and c) navigation abilities to perform safe motion at close range from people.
Through demonstrators and open software components, CROWDBOT will show that safe navigation tasks can be achieved within crowds and will facilitate incorporating its results into mobile robots, with significant scientific and industrial impact. By extending the robot operation field toward crowded environments, we enable possibilities for new applications, such as robot-assisted crowd traffic management.

Call for proposal

H2020-ICT-2016-2017

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Sub call

H2020-ICT-2017-1

Coordinator

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET AUTOMATIQUE
Net EU contribution
€ 730 470,00
Address
Domaine De Voluceau Rocquencourt
78153 Le Chesnay Cedex
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Yvelines
Activity type
Research Organisations
Other funding
€ 0,00

Participants (7)

Third-party

Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.

INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLIQUEES DE RENNES
France
Net EU contribution
€ 33 300,00
Address
Avenue Des Buttes De Coesmes 20
35708 Rennes Cedex 7

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Region
Bretagne Bretagne Ille-et-Vilaine
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Switzerland
Net EU contribution
€ 439 500,00
Address
Batiment Ce 3316 Station 1
1015 Lausanne

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Switzerland
Net EU contribution
€ 706 521,25
Address
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN
Germany
Net EU contribution
€ 516 625,00
Address
Templergraben 55
52062 Aachen

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Region
Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00
ALDEBARAN
France
Net EU contribution
€ 536 250,00
Address
Rue Colonel Pierre Avia 43
75015 Paris

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Other funding
€ 0,00
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
United Kingdom
Net EU contribution
€ 599 993,75
Address
Gower Street
WC1E 6BT London

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Region
London Inner London — West Camden and City of London
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Other funding
€ 0,00
LOCOMOTEC GMBH
Germany
Net EU contribution
€ 435 000,00
Address
Am Hasenberg 3
86899 Landsberg Am Lech

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Bayern Oberbayern Landsberg am Lech
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Other funding
€ 0,00