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Perception of materials, objects and spaces through active EXPLORAtion

Project description

Understanding human exploration and perception

When people come across new environments, objects, or artworks, they engage with them to understand better. Actions such as walking and touching shape how our senses interpret the world. However, we still do not fully understand the relationship between active exploration and the sensory information it generates. This gap in understanding hampers progress in areas like adaptive AI, robotics, healthcare, and education. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EXPLORA project aims to study perception as a dynamic process within ecological systems. To do so, it will connect science, engineering, art, and design. Its aim is to encourage a shift in thinking, to develop new talent, and to boost innovation in Europe.

Objective

Exploratory behaviour lies at the core of human essence. Being confronted with novel terrain, materials, tools, or artistic creations, humans instinctively explore the unknown in order to acquire information about it, to make sense of it, to act on it, and to appreciate what is in front of them. This quest for understanding involves dynamic engagement like walking, observing, handling objects, and manipulating them to witness changes in sight, touch, or sound. Active exploration is pivotal in shaping our sensory experiences of the world. Yet, the mutual relationships between perceptual experiences and the dynamic structures of the multisensorial information generated by active exploration are still not well understood. This presents a significant scientific challenge in itself and for comprehending the human mind's workings in natural settings. It also negatively impacts the development of multisensory interactive technologies and the innovative design of immersive systems, as well as the modelling of intelligent adaptive behaviour, thereby affecting nearly every facet of our life, including healthcare, education, mobility, AI, robotics and culture. EXPLORA aims to uncover the mutual interactions between perceptual impacts and active exploration systematically, quantitatively, and empirically. We propose a paradigm shift, approaching perception of materials, objects, and space as dynamic interactions with complex ecological systems. Through our innovative, cross-sectoral, multi-disciplinary, and sustainable research and training programme, we aim to catalyse this shift, creating impact through transfer between science, engineering, design, arts and industry and by connecting multiple levels of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education from middle schools to doctoral education to enhance talent and knowledge circulation across the European R&I (Research and Innovation) landscape.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01

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Coordinator

JUSTUS-LIEBIG-UNIVERSITAET GIESSEN
Net EU contribution
€ 580 544,64
Address
LUDWIGSTRASSE 23
35390 GIESSEN
Germany
Region
Berlin Berlin Berlin
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (11)

Partners (12)