Ubiquitous Networking Robotics in Urban Settings

Objective

European cities are becoming difficult places to live due to noise, pollution and security. Moreover, the average age of people living in European cities is growing and in a short period of time there will be an important community of elderly people. City Halls are becoming conscious of this problem and are studying solutions, for example by reducing the free car circulation areas. Free car areas imply a revolution in the planning of urban settings, for example, by imposing new means for transportation of goods, security issues, etc. In this project we want to analyse and test the idea of incorporating a network of robots (robots, intelligent sensors, devices and communications) in order to improve life quality in such urban areas.

The URUS project will be focussed in designing a network of robots that in a cooperative way interact with human beings and the environment for tasks of assistance, transportation of goods, and surveillance in urban areas. Specifically, our objective is to design and develop a cognitive network robot architecture that integrates cooperating urban robots, intelligent sensors, intelligent devices and communications. Among the specific technology that will be developed in the project, there will be: navigation coordination; cooperative perception; cooperative map building; task negotiation; human robot interaction; and wireless communication strategies between users (mobile phones), the environment (cameras), and the robots. Moreover, in order to make easy the tasks in the urban environment, commercial platforms that have been specifically designed to navigate and assist humans in such urban settings will be given autonomous mobility capabilities.

Proof-of concept tests of the systems developed will take place in a car free area of Barcelona. The initiative of this project comes from the European Group inside of the Research Atelier on Network Robot Systems (a European project) which is producing a Roadmap of Network Robots in Europe.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › sensors
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › information engineering › telecommunications › mobile phones

Programme(s)

• FP6-IST - Information Society Technologies: thematic priority under the specific programme "Integrating and strengthening the European research area" (2002-2006).

Topic(s)

• IST-2005-2.6.1 - Advanced Robotics

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA

Address

Jordi Girona 31
08034 Barcelona
Spain

 

Participants (10)

AGENCIA D'ECOLOGIA URBANA DE BARCELONA

Spain

Address

Comte D'urgell 187-1
08036 Barcelona

 

ASOCIACION DE LA INVESTIGACION Y COOPERACION INDUSTRIAL DE ANDALUCIA "F. DE PAULA ROJAS"

Spain

Address

Camino De Los Descrubrimiento S/n Escuela Superior De Ingeni
41092 Sevilla

 

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

France

Address

3, Rue Michel-ange
75794 Paris Cedex 16

 

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH

Switzerland

Address

Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich

 

INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO

Portugal

Address

Avenida Rovisco Pais
1049-001 Lisboa

 

ROBOTECH SRL

Italy

Address

Via Chiodo 161
19121 La Spezia

 

SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO SANT'ANNA

Italy

Address

Piazza Martiri Della Liberta, 33
56127 Pisa

 

TELEFONICA INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO SA UNIPERSONAL

Spain

Address

Calle Emilio Vargas 6
28043 Madrid

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

United Kingdom

Address

GU2 7XH Guildford

 

UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA

Spain

Address

Calle Pedro Cerbuna 12
50009 Zaragoza