Project description
Universal grippers inspired by the elephant’s trunk
From autonomous assembly lines, personal robot helpers, sorting robots in food production, and search & rescue operations, future robotic technology must deal with versatility (even beyond human capability), by hinging on new forms of intelligence like those originating from concurrent bioinspired design, artificial touch, and soft yet strong actuation. The EU-funded PROBOSCIS project will develop a new paradigm for extremely versatile tactile-driven robotic manipulation, embodying the extraordinary functionality of an elephant’s trunk. It will design a continuum manipulator, with no sharp distinction between arm and gripper, consisting of proprioceptive biomimetic artificial muscles and an artificial tactile skin with a unique sensitivity-toughness trade off. PROBOSCIS will produce technological breakthroughs in the form of a new generation of universal grippers with unprecedented capabilities that are deeply rooted in and enabled by elephants’ biology and behavior, triggering successful assistive, industrial, domestic, rescue and environmental applications.
Objective
Universal robotic gripping remains a challenge at the frontiers of science. In contrast, elephants perform soft yet strong reaching, grasping, collection, sucking, siphoning, and manipulation of both solid and liquid matter, on a very large range of payloads and sizes all with their prehensile, tactile-sensitive trunk. In PROBOSCIS we will establish a totally new paradigm for extremely versatile tactile-driven robotic manipulation, embodying the extraordinary functionality of the elephant trunk. This ambitious research programme aims at: morphological and behavioural characterisation of the African bush elephant trunk; bioinspired design of a continuum manipulator with elephant-like dexterity and versatility; multifunctional materials for reliable perceptive soft robotics; bioinspired control for tactile-driven soft manipulation; bioinspired tough tactile skin and 3D sensing strategies. A remarkable sample of an adult elephant trunk will be analysed by scaling up 3D histology techniques. Based on the trunk morphology, we will design a continuum robotic arm consisting of proprioceptive biomimetic artificial muscles and an artificial tactile skin with unique sensitivity-toughness trade off. To this aim, novel materials and additive manufacturing techniques will be developed starting from our proprietary compositions and technologies. We will also have extraordinary access to tamed elephants in Africa, on which we will perform quantitative behavioural studies with sensorized objects and marker-less motion capture. Based on elephants behaviours, we will formulate original control strategies for tactile-driven soft grasping and manipulation in robotics. PROBOSCIS will result in technological breakthroughs, such as a new generation of robotic manipulators with unprecedented capabilities, that are deeply rooted in and enabled by new science in elephants biology, triggering successful assistive, industrial, domestic, rescue and environmental applications.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics
- natural sciences biological sciences histology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.2. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.2.1. - FET Open
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
RIA - Research and Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
16163 Genova
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.