Project description
Soft robots capable of precise and safe navigation in tight spaces
Robots with soft, flexible bodies are transforming how we approach challenging tasks in confined spaces. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Soft-Scout project plans to develop a robot capable of autonomously navigating and performing precise operations in confined environments. The robot's elasticity will allow it to move safely through complex areas, such as aircraft engines and infrastructure struck by disasters. Researchers will develop advanced control systems and learning frameworks to ensure precision, reliability and adaptability in real-world conditions. By testing these innovations on a tentacle-shaped robot, Soft-Scout aims to reduce human effort and enhance safety in demanding environments.
Objective
Access to confined spaces is highly crucial, whether for repairing hard-to-reach aircraft engine parts, performing minimally invasive surgeries, or inspecting infrastructure after severe weather events. The Soft-Scout (Controlling Soft Robots for Advanced Adaptivity and Versatility in Confined Spaces) project addresses these challenges by enabling a soft-bodied robot to autonomously navigate and accurately conduct tasks within confined areas, which leads to reduced human effort in these demanding environments and improved quality of inspection and maintenance. To address the complexity of a soft robotic system, the overarching objective of Soft-Scout is the development and deployment of the control and learning frameworks for a soft robot that provide guarantees for the robot’s precision and reliability, while equipping it with the autonomy and robustness to navigate unknown confined areas. Maja Trumic will carry out the Soft-Scout project under the supervision of Dr. Cosimo Della Santina at the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. The project is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the European objectives (European Strategic Agenda and Horizon Europe Mission). Compared to state-of-the-art solutions, the elasticity of a soft robot’s body allows safe navigation through confined areas, while the proposed framework enables robust and dexterous operation with guaranteed precision and reliability margins. The Soft-Scout’s vision will be accomplished through three specific objectives: 1) an advanced shape control framework will enable a soft robot to perform various tasks; 2) the twofold learning strategy for autonomous navigation and robustness in confined space will endow a soft robot with the capability to deal with uncertainties in the real-world settings; and 3) the overall control and learning framework will be experimentally validated on a tentacle-shaped soft robot, collecting and integrating user feedback as well.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control systems
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics soft robotics
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
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.
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
2628 CN Delft
Netherlands
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.