Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
Content archived on 2024-06-18

Marine robotic system of self-organizing, logically linked physical nodes

Project description


Cognitive Systems and Robotics

The MORPH project advances the novel concept of an underwater robotic system composed of a number of spatially separated mobile robot-modules, carrying distinct and yet complementary resources. Instead of being physically coupled, the modules are connected via virtual links that rely on the flow of information among them. Without rigid links, the MORPH supra-vehicle (MSV) can reconfigure itself and adapt in response to the shape of the terrain. The possible applications of the MSV cover a wide range of scientific and commercial areas such as monitoring of cold water coral reefs, oil and gas pipeline inspection, or harbor and dam protection.

The MORPH project advances the novel concept of an underwater robotic system composed of a number of spatially separated mobile robot-modules, carrying distinct and yet complementary resources. Instead of being physically coupled, the modules are connected via virtual links that rely on the flow of information among them, i. e. inter-module interactions are allowed by underwater communication networks at distant and close ranges and supported by visual perception at very close range. The MORPH supra-vehicle (MSV) is thus in sharp contrast to classical monolithic vehicles or even cooperative groups of marine vehicles that operate safely away from each other. These lack the capability of mutual support and multi-sensor interaction.Without rigid links, the MSV can reconfigure itself and adapt in response to the shape of the terrain. This capability provides the foundation for efficient methods to map the underwater environment with great accuracy especially in situations that defy existing technology: namely, underwater surveys over rugged terrain and structures with full 3D complexity. This includes walls with a negative slope, where precise localization of a single vehicle is not possible.The possible applications of the MSV cover a wide range of scientific and commercial areas such as monitoring of cold water coral reefs, oil and gas pipeline inspection, or harbor and dam protection. The common characteristic of these areas is the need for operating multiple, complementary instruments at very close range to unstructured underwater terrain while accomplishing proper geo-referencing at the same time.The MORPH concept requires qualitatively new behaviors such as adaptive sensor placement for perception and navigation, as well as environmental modeling in complex environments. On site view planning will lead to a solution well beyond the operational state of the art for underwater cliff surveys and other similar missions. A final demonstration on a vertical cliff, unfeasible automatically with today's technology, will validate the efficacy of the methods developed.

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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

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.

Call for proposal

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

FP7-ICT-2011-7
See other projects for this call

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.

CP - Collaborative project (generic)

Coordinator

ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH
EU contribution
€ 671 062,00
Address
SEBALDSBRUCKER HEERSTRASSE 235
28305 BREMEN
Germany

See on map

Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding 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.

No data

Participants (10)

My booklet 0 0