Scientific collaboration in Embodied Intelligence in Europe
The FET EMBODYi programme of the European Commission and the new actions for 2011-2012 (Flagships and FP8)
Shanghai, China, May 13, 9.00-17.00
Motivation and Objectives
Embodied Intelligence is one of the current challenges of robotics research. Taking into account the morphology of the body and the mechanical properties of the materials in robot design can highly simplify control and computation. The FET EMBODYi of the European Commission is one of the Proactive Initiative of the FET programme, focused on Future and Emerging Technologies and aimed at supporting high-risk visionary interdisciplinary projects at the confluence of ICT and science. The FET programme has launched a call, in 2008, for projects investigating the concept of Embodied Intelligence and developing new technologies and design approaches for building physically embodied intelligent agents and artefacts, with emphasis on the relationship between shape, function and the physical and social environment.
The EMBODYi programme has funded 6 projects that started in 2009 and are now at their first achievements in terms of prototypes. The proposed workshop aims at presenting and discussing their current research and results, in the wider robotics community. As a whole, the 6 EMBODYi project represent a significant coordinated effort in Europe, with a potential critical mass. It is important that such activities are presented to a wider robotics community and that a discussion is held by researchers in this field, to share vision, challenges, approaches, and solutions. The workshop also aims at giving the perspectives of this line of research in Europe, by outlining the new scientific challenges of the 8th Framework Programme of the European Commission and the revolutionary initiative of the European Flagships.
Target Audience
The workshop targets researchers and scientists addressing Embodied Intelligence in their studies. The audience is not limited to robotics researchers but it is open to the many disciplines related to Embodied Intelligence, non only in the ICT domain, like artificial intelligence, control, sensors, actuators, computing, but also in the biological field. Students would also benefit from attending this workshop for having a direct interaction with the main scientists working in this emerging field and a first-hand knowledge of the collaboration among different countries and different disciplines in the EMBODYi projects.
