An exciting week of #euROBINWeek2024 comes to an end with one of the most anticipated moments: the result of the world's first ever Coopetition Challenge.

The 1st euROBIN Coopetition is part of euROBIN's mission to foster not only innovation, but also cooperative competition, bringing teams together to solve pressing robotics challenges.

And so it has been. During these days we have seen humanoid robots, quadrupeds, drones, manipulator arms and above all, teams with great professionals in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Researchers, universities, industries and even school classes have been able to enjoy #Humanoids2024 and then #euRObinWeek2024 at the Prouvé Congress Centre in Nancy.

 

We would like to congratulate the winners of the coopetition challenge in the 3 categories they competed in:

 

Robotic Manufacturing League for a Circular Economy.

• Team HCR, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia - For their pioneering work in compliant handling.

 

Personal robots to improve quality of life and wellbeing League

• Alter-Ego, University of Pisa, Italy - Awarded for its advances in hybrid teleoperation without direct visibility and autonomy.

 

League of outdoor robots for sustainable communities

• IIT, Italy - Recognised for successfully deploying robotic technology in indoor environments to autonomously pick up and deliver packages while navigating obstacle-filled paths.

 

Thank you to these teams for exemplifying the spirit of coopetition that we wanted to highlight with the euROBIN project, showing how collaboration and competition can drive Europe's leadership in both robotics and AI.

 

Thank you all for being part of the euROBIN project these days.

 

To every single person who has helped to make this event possible.

 

To each team, for their perseverance, effort and desire.

 

And of course, thanks to every robot that has competed to be part of the eurobin family!

 

 

 

The euROBIN Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) provides a roadmap for advancing embodied AI and robotics in ways that align with Europe's broader goals of sustainability, equity, and economic growth. By addressing immediate challenges and laying the groundwork for future innovation, the agenda ensures that robotics and AI can be pivotal in tackling pressing societal, economic, and environmental issues. This unified approach positions the EU as a leader in shaping technology for the public good while fostering ethical and sustainable development.

 

Societal Impact

 

Improved Quality of Life

• The euROBIN SRA emphasizes the development of robots capable of assisting with aging populations and disabilities. This aligns with societal needs for enhanced eldercare, rehabilitation, and disaster response.

 

• Human-centered robotics ensures closer collaboration between robots and humans, supporting shared spaces and tasks in homes, workplaces, and public areas while maintaining privacy and autonomy.

 

Ethical and Inclusive AI Development

• Research in human-robot interaction and ethics fosters trust in robotics, addressing cultural and psychological attitudes toward automation.

 

• The focus on safety, transparency, and regulatory frameworks ensures societal benefits while minimizing risks of misuse.

 

Skill Transfer and Lifelong Learning

• Robots equipped with lifelong and transferable learning capabilities can adapt across domains, making them effective tools for education, healthcare, and social services.

 

Economic Impact

 

Enhanced Productivity

• Robotics advancements support automation in sectors like textiles, agriculture, and logistics, unlocking growth in traditionally low-automation industries.

 

• Collaborative robots (co-bots) provide adaptable solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), boosting European industry competitiveness.

 

Circular Economy Enablement

• By incorporating robots into material recovery, sorting, and recycling, the agenda directly supports a circular economy, reducing waste and conserving resources.

 

Innovation Ecosystems

• The agenda promotes collaboration across academia, industry, and policymakers, fostering innovation ecosystems. Digital twins and simulation technologies further accelerate technology transfer and commercialization.

 

Environmental Impact

 

Climate Change Mitigation

• Robots designed for environmental monitoring and precision agriculture enable more sustainable practices. For instance, drones can monitor crop health, optimize resource usage, and reduce emissions.

 

Disaster Management

• Robotics applications in search and rescue, environmental remediation, and infrastructure inspection after natural or man-made disasters directly aid in building climate resilience.

 

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

• Hardware innovations like artificial muscles, tactile skins, and neuromorphic computing promote energy-efficient robotics systems. Morphological computation further reduces energy demands, contributing to sustainable design principles.

 

 

 

Transferability in robotics refers to the ability of robotic systems to adapt skills, knowledge, and capabilities across tasks, environments, and platforms. This is critical for creating versatile, robust, and scalable solutions in robotics and AI that align with the diverse and evolving needs of society, industries, and environmental goals.

Is a cornerstone for the broader impact of robotics and AI in the EU, driving societal inclusion, economic scalability, and environmental sustainability. By enabling robots to learn, adapt, and transfer knowledge across domains, euROBIN fosters a future where robotic systems are not just tools but dynamic partners in addressing the EU’s critical challenges. This emphasis on adaptability and versatility ensures that robotics and AI are aligned with Europe’s commitment to ethical, sustainable, and impactful technological development.

 

Societal Impact

 

Lifelong Learning and Adaptation

• Transferable robots equipped with lifelong learning capabilities can evolve and adapt to changing societal needs. For instance, robots used for eldercare or rehabilitation can learn new tasks as patient conditions change or evolve.

 

• These robots can efficiently transfer learned knowledge across environments, enabling faster deployment in homes, hospitals, or disaster zones, improving societal access to advanced robotic solutions.

 

Enhanced Collaboration and Trust

• Transferability enables robots to better understand and replicate human actions across contexts, fostering seamless collaboration. For example, shared-control systems in healthcare or education become more intuitive and accessible.

 

• Trust in robotics is enhanced when systems demonstrate predictable and transferable behavior, particularly in safety-critical applications like transportation or public spaces.

 

Accessible and Inclusive Technology

• By leveraging transferable learning, robots can operate effectively in culturally diverse or unique settings, tailoring their behavior to local norms and preferences. This inclusivity fosters broader societal acceptance.

 

Economic Impact

 

Cross-Sectoral Applications

• Transferability enables robotic systems to operate across multiple industries, reducing the need for expensive, domain-specific development. For example, robots initially designed for warehouse management can be reprogrammed for agriculture or construction with minimal overhead.

 

• This adaptability makes automation accessible to SMEs and startups, fostering innovation and economic resilience in diverse sectors.

 

Cost Efficiency and Scalability

• Transferability reduces the costs associated with training and reconfiguring robots for new tasks or environments, enabling faster scaling of automation solutions across Europe’s industries.

 

• Interoperability among robotic systems ensures that investments in one area (e.g., logistics robots) can benefit others (e.g., manufacturing), boosting productivity and economic output.

 

Strengthening the AI-Robotics Ecosystem

• Transferable skills create opportunities for collaboration and standardization across the EU, promoting a unified market for robotics technologies and reinforcing Europe’s leadership in global AI and robotics innovation.

 

Environmental Impact

 

Sustainable Resource Utilization

• Transferable robots can be deployed in precision agriculture to optimize resource use, such as water and fertilizers, across different terrains and climates. Similarly, robots in recycling facilities can adapt to varied waste streams, improving material recovery rates.

 

• Adaptability reduces the need for task-specific robotic designs, minimizing environmental costs associated with manufacturing and e-waste.

 

Climate Resilience and Monitoring

• Robots that transfer knowledge between applications can address diverse environmental challenges, such as transitioning from disaster monitoring to ecosystem restoration tasks.

 

• Autonomous systems equipped with transferable navigation and sensing skills can effectively assess climate impacts, aiding policymakers in crafting effective responses.

 

Energy Efficiency

• Transferable capabilities enable robots to optimize their operations across varying environments, conserving energy and reducing the carbon footprint of automation technologies.