Section: Partnerships and Cooperations

European Initiatives

Collaborations in European Programs

BACS project

• Program:FP6-IST-027140

• Project acronym:BACS

• Project title:Bayesian Approach to Cognitive Systems

• Duration: January 2006 - February 2011

• Coordinator: Agostino Martinelli, Pierre Bessière

• Other partners: LPPA, ETHZ (suisse)

• Abstract: Despite very extensive research efforts contemporary robots and other cognitive artifacts are not yet ready to autonomously operate in complex real world environments. One of the major reasons for this failure in creating cognitive situated systems is the difficulty in the handling of incomplete knowledge and uncertainty. In this project we are investigating and applying Bayesian models and approaches in order to develop artificial cognitive systems that can carry out complex tasks in real world environments. We are taking inspiration from the brains of mammals including humans and applying our findings to the developments of cognitive systems. The conducted research results in a consistent Bayesian framework offering enhanced tools for probabilistic reasoning in complex real world situations. The performance is demonstrated through its applications to drive assistant systems and 3D mapping, both very complex real world tasks. P. Bessière, C. Laugier and R. Siegwart edited a book titled “Probabilistic Reasoning and Decision Making in Sensory-Motor Systems” [34] which regroups 12 different PhD theses defended within the BIBA and BACS European projects. See: [33] , [36] , [37] , [42] , [62] , [63] , [74] , [89] , [82] .

Intersafe 2 project

• Project acronym:Intersafe 2

• Project title:Intersafe 2

• Duration: September 2008 - September 2011

• Coordinator: M. Parent and O. Aycard

• Abstract: The INTERSAFE-2 project aims to develop and demonstrate a Cooperative Intersection Safety System (CISS) that is able to significantly reduce injury and fatal accidents at intersections.

  The novel CISS combines warning and intervention functions demonstrated on three vehicles: two passenger cars and one heavy goods vehicle. Furthermore, a simulator is used for additional R&D. These functions are based on novel cooperative scenario interpretation and risk assessment algorithms.

sFly project

• Program:FP7-ICT-2007-3.2.2

• Project acronym:sFly

• Project title:Swarm of Micro Flying Robot

• Duration: January 2009 - December 2011

• Coordinator: A. Martinelli

• Abstract: sFly is an European research project involving 4 research laboratories and 2 industrial partners. This project will focus on micro helicopter design, visual 3D mapping and navigation, low power communication including range estimation and multi-robot control under environmental constraints. It shall lead to novel micro flying robots that are:

  • Inherently safe due to very low weight ( <500g) and appropriate propeller design;

  • Capable of vision-based fully autonomous navigation and mapping;

  • Able of coordinated flight in small swarms in constrained and dense environments.

  The contribution of e-Motion to sFly focuses on autonomous cooperative localization and mapping in open and dynamic environments. It started on 01/01/09. For the moment, Alessandro Renzaglia (PhD student) and Agostino Martinelli work on this project. A new Postdoc will be recruited for the project as well quickly.

HAVEit project

• Program:ICT-212154

• Project acronym:HAVEit

• Project title:Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport

• Duration: February 2008 - January 2011

• Coordinator: F. Nashashibi and T. Fraichard

• Abstract: HAVEit aims at the realization of the long-term vision of highly automated driving for intelligent transport. The project will develop, validate and demonstrate important intermediate steps towards highly automated driving.

  HAVEit will significantly contribute to higher traffic safety and efficiency usage for passenger cars, buses and trucks, thereby strongly promoting safe and intelligent mobility of both people and goods. The significant HAVEit safety, efficiency and comfort impact will be generated by three measures:

  • Design of the task repartition between the driver and co-drivingsystem (ADAS) in the joint system.

  • Failure tolerant safe vehicle architecture including advanced redundancy management.

  • Development and validation of the next generation of ADAS directed towards higher level of automation as compared to the current state of the art.

  The contribution of e-Motion to HAVEit focuses on safe driving.

Major European Organizations with which you have followed Collaborations

• Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering: Univeristy of Thrace, Xanthi (GREECE)

• Subject: 3D coverage based on Stochastic Optimization algorithms

• BlueBotics: BlueBotics Company, Lausane (Switzerland)

• Subjet: Implementation of self-calibration strategies for wheeled robots and SLAM algorithms for industrial purposes

• Autonomous System laboratory: ETHZ, Zurich (Switzerland)

• Subjet: Vision and IMU data Fusion for 3D navigation in GPS denied environment.