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Robotic Visions to 2020 and beyond -- The strategic research agenda for
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 EUROP EURO PEAN R O B O T I C S
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM

ROBOTIC
VISIONS
TO 2020 and beyond

The Strategic Research AgendA

for Robotics in Europe, 07/2009
 CHAPTER 01 | 02 Introduction Introduction CHAPTER 0 1 | 0 3

Mission Statement

This Strategic Research Agenda

aims to promote
robotics development AND
business activity in Europe
SRA Care Europ
This Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) was compiled by the The Coordination Action for Robotics in Europe (CARE) is The European Robotics Technology Platform (EUROP) is an EUROP originated in October 2004, when leading European
industry-driven Coordination Action for Robotics in Europe a project funded by the European Commission (Directorate industry-driven platform comprising the main stakeholders in robotics organisations realised the need for a consolidated
(CARE) with much support from industrial and academic Information Society and Media) under the 6 Framework
th
robotics. Its goal is to strengthen Europe’s competitive­ness approach to European robotics, which led to the forma-
robotics stakeholders most of which are organised in the Programme (FP6-IST-045058, 01.11.2006 – 31.10.2009). The in robotics research and development and global ­markets, tion of EUROP as a European Technology Platform (ETP) in
European Robotics Technology Platform (EUROP). CARE partners took the role of actively driving forward the as well as to improve the quality of life of ­European citizens. ­October 2005.
development of this SRA based on the information collected
from the community.

15 CARE PARTNERS:
 CHAPTER 01 | 04 Introduction Introduction CHAPTER 0 1 | 0 5

CONTENT
CHAPTER 0 1 | 0 2
INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 0 2 | 1 2
PRODUCT
VISIONS &
APPLICATION
SCENARIOS

CHAPTER 0 3 | 2 0
APPLICATION
REQUIREMENTS

CHAPTER 0 4 | 2 6
TECHNOLOGIES

CHAPTER 0 5 | 3 4

Executive summary CONCLUSIONS

Contributors

Leading European robotics

Europe has a globally successful industrial robotics industry position that can be used to inform strategy and technical of these technologies were analysed and the ones Europe focus and optimise the required investment in technology and
with a worldwide market share of approximately 25%. Build- policy in Europe, and provide a strategic focus for national should develop and strengthen were singled out. infrastructure and the industry’s success will boost know­
ing on this position and ensuring a strong foothold in the and regional research programmes. Robotics is likely to be a pivotal element when targeting ledge based employment. Through these effects the SRA will
newly emerging market sectors of domestic service, profes- This robotics strategy was achieved through extensive analy- social challenges such as the aging population, the creation greatly benefit the industry and Europe’s citizens.
sional service, security, and space robotics are key priorities sis of market developments and future opportunities. From and retention of high-quality, socially inclusive employ-
for European robotics. These goals can only be achieved by this, a broad range of product visions were identified. These ment, external and internal security threats and dealing with
focusing all stakeholders – which include the robotics indus- visions provide clear evidence for the viability of cross- economic disparity arising from the recent and future EU
try, robotics researchers, and private and public investors in fertilisation between the different robotics sectors and con- enlargements. Therefore, European society stands to benefit
research and development – on a common strategic vision: vergence of the underlying key technologies. With suitable greatly from a leadership position of its robotics industry.
The Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Robotics in Europe. stimulation and investment in these common technologies a This SRA will play a vital part in achieving this goal by 2020.
The development of this SRA was driven by industry and is broad range of robotics activities will be enabled. Key to this It will help to establish a coordinated, market-driven ap-
backed by the commitment of the above-mentioned European is the identification of first-wave technologies that will drive proach that will lead to closer collaboration both within the Dr. Horst J. Kayser
EUROP President, CEO KUKA AG
stakeholders. It represents an aggregated and well-founded early markets. The current stage and future development industry and between industry and academia. It will further
 CHAPTER 01 | 06 Introduction Introduction CHAPTER 0 1 | 0 7

Why use a robot?

Robots are known to save costs, to improve quality and work conditions, and to minimise
waste of resources. With increased flexibility and ease of use, robots are at the dawn of a
new era, turning them into ubiquitous helpers to improve our quality of life by delivering

18.0
efficient services in our homes, offices, and public places.

Industrial robots form an essential part of the manufacturing technologies, such as navigation, motion control, sensing
backbone of Europe. Without the use of robotic technologies, and cognition, will enable a broad range of innovations in
cost-effective production, a pillar of European wealth, would today’s products resulting, for example, in more flexible,
not be possible in Europe because of relatively high labour environmentally friendly transport systems and intelligent

million costs. Furthermore, robot-based production increases product

quality, improves work conditions and leads to an optimised
use of resources. The miniaturisation of robotic technologies
household appliances. Eventually these technologies will
reach levels of sophistication which will make possible the
widespread use of intelligent robots and robotic devices
robots will populate
and newly developed sensing capabilities mean that these able to perform a variety of tasks in homes, offices, and
the world IN 2011
benefits are becoming applicable to an even wider range public places.
of manufacturing industries, including those with small and Driven by the increased security needs of European citizens

6.5
­varying lotsizes, materials and product geometries. Robots and the higher workload resulting from extended monitor-
can also be effective in areas where there are skill short- ing of our everyday environments, robots already play an

million
ages. As an example, a McKinsey study in Germany predicts a increasing role in the security market. Tele-operated mobile
shortage of 6 million skilled labourers by 2020, and highlights systems are now being used in a number of security ap-
a pressing requirement for an increase of productivity. plications including bomb disposal. In the future, robots
robots weRE in operation Significant application opportunities exist in the emerging will autonomously assist with the protection of offices and
worldwide IN 2007 service robotics sectors, whose products will impact on our homes and will help secure borders or monitor the environ-
everyday lives by contributing high-value-added services ment in both routine and emergency operations.
and providing safer working conditions. In the fields of In space, the use of robots has become almost obligatory.
medical diagnosis, therapy, and rehalibiltation robot-based Both unmanned and manned missions, be it in Earth orbit or
systems will assist health workers performing novel pro- interplanetary, will be preceded or augmented by robots. In
cedures, thereby increasing their effectiveness. The aging addition, the technologies applicable to space robotics will
population will drive the application of robotic technologies enable a wide range of Earth-based exploration and material
that improve the quality of life and assist people to live processing activities from automated undersea ­inspection to
longer and more comfortably in their own homes. Robotic mining and mineral extraction under hazardous conditions.
Source: World Robotics 2008. More statistics, market analysis, and forecasts can be found here: www.ifrstat.org
 CHAPTER 01 | 08 Introduction Introduction CHAPTER 0 1 | 0 9

Ethical, legal,
and societal issues

Business and consumer interests and technological advancements will lead to the wide
diffusion of robotic technology into our everyday lives, from collaboration in manufacturing
to services in private homes, from autonomous transportation to environmental ­monitoring.
Building an early awareness of the resulting ethical, legal, and societal (ELS) issues will
allow timely legislative action and societal interaction, which will in turn support the
­development of new markets.

European society and many others in the world are ­currently The presented analysis of the ELS issues is based on the such that the safety of humans and their general superior Societal issues
facing a number of challenges including demographic and following assumptions: In the short term robots and humans position in the control hierarchy is ensured. Particular care Industrial robots already changed society. A more widespread
economic changes. While some of these can be met, at least will work beside each other and, in some cases, interact must be taken with the elderly and children. Robots should use of robots may lead to further labour displacement and an
partially, with robotics, doing so can have major ELS impli- directly. In the mid term robots and humans will cooperate support, but not replace, human carers or teachers and extension of the digital divide. This may lead to the exclusion
cations. and share space with each other, both at work and at home. should not imitate human form or behaviour. Further ethical of parts of society from the benefits of advanced robotics.
In general, the resulting issues will influence the level of ac- Robots will perform more complex tasks without constant issues can be derived from the European Charter of Funda- On the other hand, job profiles will improve as robots take
ceptance of robots and robotic devices as parts of our daily supervision. Only in the long term will humans and robots mental Rights. over dangerous, dull and dirty jobs not only in the manufac-
lives. In some cases ELS issues can have a greater influence become more integrated and will the sophistication of the turing industries. Finally, enhancing the human body through
on the delivery of systems to market than the readiness interaction increase. Legal Issues robotics has both positive and negative implications for the
level of the involved technologies. Existing national laws Legal issues in robotics will mainly be related to questions able-bodied and disabled.
and inter­national conventions, as well as different ethical Ethical issues of liability and responsibility. A robot may take wrong de-
and cultural perspectives and societal expectations across Wrong may be done either by the robot itself or by society cisions as its acquired knowledge may contain inaccurate
the different states of Europe need to be taken into consid- when applying robotic devices. For example, robotic com- representations of the often unknown, unstructured environ-
eration. In order for the robotics industry to become aware panions can attain a very high level of social pervasiveness. ment surrounding it. Is the designer, producer, commissioner
of these issues, cross-disciplinary education and a legal These robots will often have the ability to collect personal or user responsible for inappropriate actions of the robot?
and ethical infrastructure need to be built alongside the information and may thereby invade a user’s privacy or that In this context, the robot’s learning process needs to be Further information regarding ELS issues can be found at:
www.robotics-platform.eu/sra/els
developing industry. of bystanders. Also, robotic co-workers must be designed ­controllable by those who take responsibility for the robot.
 CHAPTER 01 | 10 Introduction Introduction CHAPTER 0 1 | 1 1

Developing an industrially driven robotics SRA for Europe combining both

a backward (market pull) and forward (technology push) methodology

Roadmapping methodology INDUSTRIAL

DOMESTIC
SERVICE
The developed roadmapping methodology ensures that the diversity of European robotics
PULL:
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT VISIONS
stakeholders stands united behind one strategic vision. The detailed analysis of potential SERVICE
WHEN IS IT
NEEDED ?

product visions and their requirements ensures a market-driven SRA. However, ­opportunities SECURITY What do they
have in common? Timely
development�
originating from novel technologies were also considered. of robotics
SPACE Application technology
SCenarios and markets

The first step in achieving a common vision is to get people Technology Push PULL:
WHAT IS NEEDED?
to talk to each other. To ease this process, and to allow the The backward analysis was complemented by a forward
extraction of the relevant information from this discussion, a analysis or technology push approach. Here, all relevant Application
common vocabulary was developed to provide definitions for technologies are analysed to pinpoint opportunities, which REQUIREMENTS

application requirement descriptions and technologies. may originate from developments in research. For this the PULL: HOW ARE
NEEDS FULLFILLED?
input from technology experts was sought, who were found PUSH:
WHAT NEW
Market Pull among the scientific and industrial communities. They de- PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY PUSH: WHEN
COULD BE WILL IT BE
To ensure a market-driven agenda, a backward or market scribed the technology development status and the techno- REALISED? PROVIDED ?

pull analysis was used. The SRA first identified product logical potential in the short (2010), mid (2015), and long
visions in all five sectors. Careful analysis of their require- term (2020+). In two iterations a Delphi study helped to
ments helped to single out the technological developments refine and validate the technology roadmap. The technol-
required to arrive at these products. Further investigation ogy experts were also asked to comment on the European
highlighted that many product visions resulted in very simi- strengths and weaknesses in these areas. Furthermore, the
lar requirements and could therefore be grouped into six drivers behind the different aspects of the technology were Prioritising technologies Finding consensus between all stakeholders
application scenarios. identified. Eventually, additional product visions were identi- Finally, the outputs of the forward and backward analyses The described process was facilitated by the CARE partners.
fied from the resulting technology roadmap. were “fused” to form the overall picture. The aim was not A wider group of stakeholders (see pages 38 & 39) con-
to provide a holistic view of the technology world, but to tributed to and evaluated the collected information during
prioritise those technology groups, which are more relevant activities such as working group and consensus meetings,
for robotics and will also be mostly driven through robotics. and expert consultations.
It is important to note, however, that only with adequate
INDUSTRY More information on our approach to roadmapping and
progress in all technologies will the envisioned develop- the common vocabulary can be found at:
www.robotics-platform.eu/sra/methodology
Market Pull: ments in robotics be achieved.
From product visions to
application requirements CARE EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL
working groups, ROBOTICS INNOVATION
: >Working groups >SRA Workshops Delphi studies, SRA IN ROBOTICS
>Delphi study consensus
ACADEMIA meetings

Technology push:
From fundamental sciences to
technology breakthroughs

Ensuring a successful European Robotics SRA

by involving all stakeholders and experts
 More details on the application scenarios and product visions
can be obtained from: www.robotics-platform.eu/sra/scenarios

Chapter 02

Product Robots and robotic devices will have a broad impact across many existing and emerging
markets, which can be grouped in the following main sectors: industrial, professional service,

visions & domestic service, security and space robotics. All product visions identified within these
different sectors can be classified as belonging to one of six different, sector-overarching
application scenarios (see table below). These application scenarios are described in detail

application on the following pages.

While each of the product visions has specific requirements, it is important to find

scenarios
similarities and common challenges. The sector-overarching application scenarios help
in formulating these as a distinct set of application requirements (see Chapter 03).
This ­approach also makes it possible to identify, group, and assess the key technologies
required to fulfil these requirements (see Chapter 04), which in turn allows an assess-
ment of the timely viability of future products.

Robotic Robotic Logistics Robots for Robots for Edutainment

Application Workers Co-Workers Robots surveillance exploration & robots
Scenarios & intervention inspection

Sectors

Industrial

Professional
Service

Domestic
Service

Security

Space
 CHAPTER 02 | 14 Product visions & application scenarios Product visions & application scenarios CHAPTER 02 | 15

Robotic workers Robotic co-workers

Robots performing tasks autonomously Robots working directly with and for humans

Current robotics-based manufacturing is relatively inflexible. In the future, robotic workers will have to cope with more Robots will eventually work with us or assist us under many
Product Visions
Typically, machines are set up and left to work for long peri- complex tasks such as multi-part assembly using several different circumstances. Their close interaction will neces-
ods of time on one specific operation. In the face of relatively arms and hands, and will have to rapidly adapt to perform sitate compatibility with us to achieve safe and dependable Robot Assistant Robot Assistant Surgical Robot
in industrial for ­Professionals
high labour costs and potential shortages of skilled labourers, different jobs, first facilitated through human intervention and operation, be it at work, in public, at home, or in space. They environments

Europe is and will remain highly reliant on robotic workers later autonomously. It will become easier to program single may be tele-operated or perform individual tasks or whole
Rehabilitation Personal Robot Robot Assistant
in the industrial and professional service environments. More or multiple, cooperating robots. Advances related to operating sequences of tasks autonomously. Robot for physically
challenged
and more dangerous, dull, and dirty jobs will be carried out by envelopes will enable robots to work on much larger structures Robot co-workers will allow automation to spread to all types
machines that will, in the long term, result in more humane, such as boats or bridges, and on much smaller ones on the of manufacturing industries. In the service sector robotic co- Robot Assistant Orbital Robot Planetary Robot
in Security Assistant Assistant
knowledge-based job profiles. This is the only way to keep pro- micro and nano scale. workers will assist humans performing services useful to the Contexts

duction, construction, and maintenance in Europe competitive. well-being of humans or equipment. For example, stroke pa-
tients will receive highly sophisticated therapy in the comfort
and privacy of their own home. In the security sector, robots
may be used for ordnance disposal or alongside security guards
as they make their rounds. In space, robot assistants will
­reduce the number of expensive and dangerous space walks.

Product Visions

Large Structure Robot with

Manufacturing integrated proc-
(incl. civil eng.) ess control

Rapidly adaptable Coordinated

manufacturing Mobile
cell Manipulators

Human-like Robot automation

Assembly Robot for small scale
manufacturing

Postproduction Micro-
automation manufacturing
(recycling, re- robot
manufacturing)

Maintenance Forestry and

Robot agriculture
Robot

Mining Robot Professional

Cleaning Robot

Orbital Robot Planetary Robot

Agent Agent
 CHAPTER 02 | 16 Product visions & application scenarios Product visions & application scenarios CHAPTER 02 | 17

Logistics robots Robots for

surveillance & intervention
Robots moving goods and people Robots protecting citizens against security threats

Logistics robots will operate in a wide variety of environ- which collect logistics requests, dynamically assign routes Surveillance and intervention robots protect homes, public tasks such as responding to sudden and unexpected events,
ments: factory warehouses, hospitals, and our existing trans- and missions to the robots, manage conflicts and incidents, buildings, industrial sites or a country’s borders. They will and identifying abnormal activities or potentially dangerous
port networks. Already very simple forms of such robots and schedule preventive maintenance. generally work on the ground, but may also operate on or situations. Complex security missions will also increasingly
operate, for example, as transit trains for passengers at under water or in the air. These robots require some cogni- require the deployment and cooperation of multiple robotic
airports. In the future their use will expand thereby providing tive capabilities, particularly with respect to decision making, systems.
more efficient goods management and reducing the impact of planning, and situation awareness. For the foreseeable future
our ever increasing mobility requirements. humans must remain in the decision loop.
On the small scale logistics robots will provide transport Product Visions Currently, their primary task is to gain information and to re- Product Visions
services in hospitals, offices, and public places. On the large port back. In the mid term the use of flying robotic platforms
Autonomous Autonomous Border Site Protection Security checks
scale they present an opportunity to increase the efficiency Transport Transport for surveillance and monitoring will increase, in parallel with Surveillance (domestic and of goods
of goods of people professional) and people
of road use through the autonomous transport of people and a maturation of all relevant regulations. In the long term
goods. In both cases fleet management systems are needed, such robots will also be able to accomplish more complex
 CHAPTER 02 | 18 Product visions & application scenarios Product visions & application scenarios CHAPTER 02 | 19

Robots for exploration & inspection Edutainment robots

Robots in unknown or dangerous environments Robots educating and entertaining humans

Robots are ideal for operation in domains which are either Motion simulators, roller coasters, and educational aids, per-
Product Visions Product Visions
inaccessible or very dangerous for people. Examples include sonal sports trainers or novel games – imagination is the
space exploration and investigating collapsed buildings. Inspection in Underwater Disaster limit. These robots will interact with humans on a cognitive Motion simulator Robot guide Robot teacher
environments Robot Management
­During many missions such as the inspection of a disaster inaccessible and physical level. Their task may be to help educate a child,
to humans
zone or the examination of an underwater pipeline reliable play games with them, or provide a social companion for an
Orbital Robot Planetary Robot Robot trainer Robot companion Robot toy
and faultless operation are fundamental requirements. Explorer Explorer elderly or infirm person. Multi-modal communication includ-
Currently, such robots are often tele-operated or their auton- ing the assessment of a person’s emotional state and the
omy is restricted to a limited number of well-defined steps. In physical expression of emotions and gestures are of special
the future, higher levels of autonomy will be needed, not only importance in this context. Pupils, students and enthusiasts
in domains where communications are limited, such as space, may learn much about technologies related to robotics in the
but also to increase efficiency during time-critical operations. process of building such systems. The main challenge in this
This may also be achieved by using multiple robots. market is to produce robots with sufficient functionality to
generate novelty and fascination, and maintain the interest
of a person over a significant time span at a price suitable
for the mass market.
 Detailed metrics and the timely development of the
application requirements can be found at:
www.robotics-platform.eu/sra/requirements

Chapter 03

Application
requirements
To turn product visions into successful products with the desired level of performance a set
of requirements has to be fulfilled. Analyses undertaken as a part of the SRA development
process have shown that application requirements specific to robotics can be described in
terms of twelve distinct areas as introduced on the following pages.

For these application requirements detailed metrics for different product visions and
­application scenarios were developed. Although these have not been included here, they are
available from the EUROP website. These requirements provide a technology-independent
means of specifying a robot in a consistent way and are the key to identifying the relative
importance of the required underlying technologies.

As any product must offer a positive price-performance ratio, cost is not considered as
a separate application requirement. Developments in manufacturing technologies and the
scaling effects of mass production are important in this context, but are beyond the scope
of the presented work. It is, however, critical that the technology and means of production
are located in or under the control of European manufacturers.
 CHAPTER 03 | 22 Application requirements Application requirements CHAPTER 0 3 | 2 3

01 02 03
Sustainability Configuration Adaptation
Sustainability is a reflection of the environmental and Configuration is a change to the robot (or to the larger Adaptation is a change to the process or the method of
social impact that the robot’s production and its opera- system) which is performed by the operator when the execution by the system itself which is generally per-
tion have. Many aspects of sustainability will be driven by system is not in operational mode. It is done mainly formed at runtime. Adaptation can take place over both
regulations. In the short term these will mainly concern through programming, instruction, initialisation, or by short and long timescales, and affect any level of the
the production of the robot system itself. In the mid term demonstration. Currently, configuration is carried out for system. It may involve cognitive decision making. In the
they will also cause producers to consider the environ- a specific task or system at setup or between different short term operational parameters of the software will
mental impact of the operation of the robot as is already tasks by online and offline programming. In the future be adapted to environmental changes using a database.
the case for white goods. In the long run, the design the process of configuration will be simplified through ­Future robots, and later groups of robots, will adapt
of a robot, including software and other aspects, will improved user interfaces using more human-compatible their hardware and software, first only to foreseen, but
be expected to minimise the consumption of resources modalities. Eventually, life-long adaptation will minimise ultimately to more complex changes of the environment,
during the whole life cycle. the need for manual configuration. work piece and processes.

04 05 06
Autonomy Positioning Manipulation & grasping
Autonomy is the system’s ability to independently per- Positioning refers to the process of moving (the relevant Manipulation refers to the ability to operate on an object,
form a task, a process or system adjustment. The level parts of) the robot to a defined place. The scope of the especially in a skilful manner. Grasping is a particular
of autonomy can be assessed by defining the necessary movement can be the ground-, water- or air-bound, space form of manipulation involving picking up and moving
degree of human intervention. Modern robots are mostly or bio-environments. Today, positioning is largely based objects with the end effector. Nowadays, only objects
pre-programmed. Limited autonomy is present in some on robot and environmental models. Accuracy is achieved with specific properties (usually rigid and known) can
domains. In the future robot systems will perform in- through well-defined mechanics and costly modifications be manipulated. In the future the level of dexterity and
creasingly complex (sequences of) tasks in decreasingly of the environment. In the future positioning accuracy will strength will ­allow for manipulation of all kinds of objects
well-structured and known environments. Less ­human depend increasingly on perceived environmental features. with higher speed and precision. This will include skilful
instruction or supervision will be needed over time. Improvements with respect to other application require- manipulation with fingers and multiple coordinated end
The periods covered depend on the task space and will ments, such as adaptation and dependability, will also effectors. The scale of the handled objects will range from
lengthen over time. lead to a better performance. nano to hundreds of meters.
 CHAPTER 03 | 24 Application requirements Application requirements CHAPTER 0 3 | 2 5

07 08 09
Robot-robot interaction Human-robot interaction Process Quality
Robot-robot interaction is the cooperation of multiple Human-robot interaction is the ability of a robot and Process quality describes performance quality, consist-
robots to achieve a common goal by carrying out the task a human to mutually communicate, which may include ency and the success level of the robot. In some sec-
together or by splitting it. They can interact directly or physical interaction. This involves communication using a tors this may be the level of fulfilment of the mission.
through the modification of the environment. The robots common context, possibly embracing a common cognitive The level of autonomy and the efficiency of the robot
may access information gathered by teammates or from view. The interaction can be multi-modal using sounds, can also be factors. Today the output of robot systems
other sources. Today, cooperative tasks, which may be gestures, and physical interaction. They may involve or is significantly superior to human performance in very
pre-defined or pre-scripted, are carried out by autono- result in modifications of the environment. In the short specific tasks and processes and significantly worse in
mous robots often under centralised control. Increasing term ­humans will interact with the robot using defined others. In the future, the range of tasks in which robots
autonomy will eventually render this unnecessary. Robots inter­faces the human has to learn. After a series of step outperform humans is expected to significantly increase,
with manipulators will jointly carry out a process in close changes h­ umans will naturally interact with the robot. but for the foreseeable future this will not be true across
proximity. Robot teams will also cooperate. all tasks and sectors.

10 11 12
Dependability Physical properties Standardisation
Dependability refers to the ability of a robot to perform a Physical aspects describe explicit physical character- Parts of robot systems or components that are accepted,
task reliably, safely and with a high level of integrity. The istics which are constraints for the design of robot used, or practiced by most people within the business
robot itself is dependable if it is maintainable, available, systems. This may include the robot’s shape, size or are standardised. Software and interface standards are
robust and secure. Today, very dependable systems can weight, or other task-specific requirements. Today, critical to the development of a cross-sector component
be realised, but the resulting costs prevent the auto­ hardware is designed to meet the majority needs of industry. Benchmarking can be an important aspect of
mation of some tasks. With time the dependability of large markets. With time, standardisation and modular- standardisation. International collaboration is essen-
components and the robustness of the overall systems ity of components will increase and design tools will tial. Currently, safety standards only exist for industrial
will increase, thereby reducing the need for human inter- be improved. It will therefore become possible to meet ­robots and systems, but will in the future also comprise
vention. Self-diagnosis and control will result in graceful more specific needs in a cost-effective manner. First, ­service robots. Robot components will be interchangeable
degradation of the systems and thus extend the time to the ­industry will be able to serve niche markets, later and usable off the shelf. Standards for robot-robot and
maintenance. those of individuals. human-robot interaction will be developed.
 More detailed descriptions and timely developments
of technologies can be found here:
www.robotics-platform.eu/sra/technologies

Chapter 04

Technologies
Robotics relies on a variety of fundamental domains and is thus to a large extent the
­science of integrating a broad spectrum of technologies. All technologies essential to
robotics have aspects that are almost exclusively relevant in the context of robotics and
aspects that are relevant not only to robotics, but also to other domains. Good examples of
the first, robotics-driven group are “manipulation”, “navigation”, and “perception”. ­Batteries
provide a good example of the second group where advances will benefit robotics, but
where, for now, robotics will not be a driving force.

Competitive advantages in high-technology areas are hard won. Europe must not only retain
leadership where this has been achieved, but also take the lead in first-wave technologies.
For Europe’s success it will be vital to capitalise on its existing strong academic base
through well-managed technology transfer. However, Europe cannot afford to only con-
centrate on areas of strength, it will also need to foster technologies that could become
critical barriers to market.

In areas of relative weakness an informed decision has to be made whether a dependence

on others is acceptable. To aid these choices, an estimate of the time when technologies
will be found in products is given, European strengths are highlighted and the drivers of
the technologies are identified.
 CHAPTER 04 | 28 Technologies Technologies CHAPTER 0 4 | 2 9

Cooperating
System robots &
System engineering ambient (Real-time) Human-machine
architecture Tools intelligence communication interface Safety

An architecture defines the structure These are tools for designing a ro- In this field the desired collective This field is concerned with hardware Interfaces enable humans and robots Safety considers how to avoid or
of system components, their inter­ bot system (hardware and software) behaviour emerges from robot-robot and software communication within to communicate with each other using handle hazardous situations to reduce
relationships, and the principles including simulation of its dynamic interactions and their interactions the system’s time constraints in the a variety of channels. the severity and likelihood of harm to
governing their design and evolution properties and deployment. with the environment. context of its architecture. Human-machine and human-­computer acceptable levels.
over time. Robotics can benefit from the aero- With the exception of communication The transfer of solutions from aero- interfaces need to be extended to Safety methodologies from other do-
Robot architectures should adapt space, automotive, manufacturing and sensor networks, this area is space and the consumer electronics ­robotics and physical interaction. mains must be adapted for robotic
­approaches from neighbouring indus- systems, games and defence indus- driven by robotics. Due to its strong industry to robotics is non-trivial and ­Europe’s strength lies in technologies systems. Europe, based on its strong
tries (telecom, aerospace, automo- tries. Europe must ensure academic research community, Europe is in a has to be supported. Open frameworks such as speech processing and hap- technical expertise, needs to ensure
tive), focusing on physical human in- skills are transferred to industry to good position to take leadership in for software and hardware also play tics. Researchers should be exposed that it grows and implements its
teraction. European frameworks lack catch up with US suppliers and open- the developing civilian markets. an important role. to the problems robotic ­designers safety legislation alongside the di-
popularity and reuse of components. source efforts. face. versifying robotic market.

SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010)

Hierarchical architectures Separate tools exist to aid Teams of robots; centralised Numerous specialised protocols; Mostly graphical or text-based Sensor-based physical safety;
running on a single system; the design of aspects of robot control and communication; tasks Ethernet-based communication interfaces; few haptic devices HW safety through redundancy;
architecture may use multiple and application; simplistic specified for each individual starts to take over as de-facto and use of human interaction SW safety through formal
cores for specific purposes ­models, which can not be linked robot; use of common map standard channels; touch interfaces ­approaches to programming

MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015)

Hybrid or layered, service- Integrated tool chain for Distributed control; inter-agent New protocols using ontologies, Human interaction channels, Model-based HW & SW failure
­oriented architectures; design of robot and application communication; task specified for logic, probabilistic or geometric which human has to learn; detection & isolation;
loosely coupled distributed (easily extendable); team; games & swarm theories models, rule sets, etc… some tele-presence; haptic input application safety (explosives,
­modules (real-time agents) dynamic robot models are applied devices; learning interfaces food, medicine, etc.)

LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+)

Component ­compositionality Integrated tool chain to Cooperation without explicit Components can figure out Interaction using human channels Predictive failure detection;
& self-configuration; globally custom-build robots; detailed, ­representation of action; each others’ protocols; utilising cognitive approaches; safe automatic obstacle avoid-
­distributed, resource-aware easy-to-use dynamic models skill-based or learning-based components negotiate neural interfaces; non-invasive ance; detection of the intention
architectures for robot & environment automation required quality of service brain interfaces of a person
 CHAPTER 04 | 30 Technologies Technologies CHAPTER 0 4 | 3 1

Actuation End Effectors Locomotion Materials Navigation Planning

Actuation technologies generate ­forces End effectors enable a robot to inter- Locomotion allows a robot to move to Robotic parts and systems are com- Navigation is concerned with control- Planning is the computation and selec-
and torques to thereby manage the act with and change its environment, a specified location on the ground, in posed or can be made of a variety ling movement. It relies on mapping, tion of paths, motions, actions, tasks,
motion of robots. e.g., by grasping, manipulating and the air, in space, on or under water, of materials. Europe is a leader in localisation, and collision avoidance. policies, procedures, and missions for
Only specialised parts such as light- processing objects. or inside a living body. materials science and engineering. Unlike map-based navigation, com- goal-directed robot behaviour.
weight, compact drives and gears Grippers, hands, process tools and Except for biologically inspired loco- As materials R&D is mostly driven bining localisation & mapping (SLAM) Most aspects of planning are driven
designed for frequent speed and tool changers are developed by the motion, most aspects of locomotion by other domains, technology trans- and collision avoidance are robotics- by several industries, each concen-
direction changes are driven by ro- robotics community, but the pros­ are driven by other sectors. Europe fer to robotics will be greatly benefi- ­driven. European strengths in naviga- trating on their context. While Europe
botics. While Europe has a strong theses industry is also a stakeholder. is strong in biologically inspired and cial, particularly in composites, light tion and motion control need to result is strong in motion and task planning,
foothold in drives, its dependence on Europe is a key player in this tech- underwater locomotion, but lags be- metal foams, and materials integrat- in technology transfer, especially for higher level mission planning in the
others with respect to gears should nology area and must maintain this hind in bipedal locomotion. ing functionality such as sensing and outdoor navigation. US is more advanced due to extensive
be decreased. position. actuation. defence and space activities.

SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010)

Mostly electric, pneumatic, Task-specific end effectors, esp. Engineering solutions to locomo- Shape memory alloys (SMA) & Navigation expensive (computa- Manual programming superior to
or hydraulic motors; light- ­grippers; mostly pre-programmed tion; locomotion inside the human electro-active polymers (EAP) tion & sensors); localisation automated planning (optimised
weight high-density actuators; or taught grasping strategies; body through external force fields for micro robots; some use of and mapping in controlled process path based on human
standard gears flexibility with tool changers carbon/composite/metal foams ­environments solved experience); randomised motions
as planning alternative

MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015)

Continuously variable trans­ Multi-finger grippers for a variety Biomimetic locomotion in/on SMA & EAP for robot reconfi- Some perception based localisa­ Automated mission and p­ rocess
missions; ball-socket joints; of objects; grasps computed ­water and on land; bipedal guration; biomimetic/sensing tion; SLAM for challenging planning using, for example,
improved energy saving and ­online; gripping of human tools locomotion in structured environ- materials; some use of nano- environments; collision avoidance ­databases of expert knowledge
power-weight ratio ments materials considers dynamic objects

LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+)

High energy efficiency; safe, power­ Dexterous hands; grasping of all Bipedal locomotion in unstruc- Increased use of nano-materials; SLAM in unconstrained environ- Autonomous, online planning for
ful actuators; micro actuation; objects; use of multiple hands; tured environments (mostly use of biomimetic materials ments; collision avoidance tasks of high d­ imensionality;
use of smart ­materials; powerful future goal: human dexterity & indoors); energy efficiency; and biological tissue; intelligent with d­ ynamic, non-cooperative learn from human (often inter­
pneumatics and hydraulics ­assembly skills ­autonomous in-body locomotion materials and structures obstacles through perception actively)
 CHAPTER 04 | 32 Technologies Technologies CHAPTER 0 4 | 3 3

Power Sensing &

Management Control Learning Modelling Sensors Perception

Power management efficiently gener- Control uses algorithms and math- Learning refers to adaptation of robot Modelling is the mathematically de- A sensor detects or measures a Perception is the robot’s ability to
ates, stores, and conditions power for ematics to regulate the behaviour of behaviour through practice, experience scribed approximation of reality. physical quantity and converts it into build and interpret representations of
the system. devices or systems. or teaching. Most of modelling is driven by other electrical signals. the physical world from sensed data.
With the exception of power manage­ Robotics drives the application of Basic research on machine learning domains, but robotics has a strong The development of a few sensors This process may involve cognition
ment for sensors, this ­technology is cur- control theory developed in other is often evaluated by robotics, but the need to model and simulate the (e.g., skin sensors) and some sen- and learning.
rently driven by worldwide “e-­mobility” domains to robotics (e.g., kinemat- web technology and games industries, ­system (mechanics, actuators, elec- sor properties (e.g., size, weight, and Sensing is not robotics-driven, but
initiatives. Europe lags behind in bat- ics, dynamics, force control). Europe and the AI community are also prime tronics, and sensors) and environ- safety category) are robotics-driven. perception under real-time constraints
teries and wireless power transmis- is strong in control of arms and ve- users. Significant public support has ment at runtime. ­Europe is strong in Currently, economy of scale can only and fusing often uncertain informa-
sion, but excels at most other aspects hicles and despite having only few led to first-class research in Europe, modelling for control (kinematics and be achieved if the sensor is also used tion from many sources are. Europe
including fuel cells, renewable sources, players in humanoids, also in control but enhanced technology transfer is dynamics), biomimetics, bionics, and by other industries. is strong in on-chip signal processing
and electrical systems. of dynamic walking and hands. needed. cybernetics. and in sensor fusion.

SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010) SHORT TERM (2010)

Mostly external power or ­local Control through cascades; Parts of robot systems use Lack of standards for model Gradual replacement of s­ pecial Sensor fusion is task-specific
storage; regenerative brakes ­state-space controller; learning methods; well-defined ­descriptions; simulation not as hardware (frame grabbers, and relies on calibration;
available, but not used often ­sliding mode controller; conditions; learning from expert good as real-world experiments; ­cameras…); 3D vision sensors in limited by processing power;
feedback linearisation teacher long computation times low resolution use of attention mechanisms

MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015) MID TERM (2015)

Local energy conversion/genera- Predictive, distributed, self cali- Essential parts of controllers use Standard language for model Higher frame rate of visual sen- Advanced task-dependent sensor
tion; regeneration is ­standard; brating, self tuning controllers learning methods; learning by ­description; interchangeable sors; greatly improved 3D vision fusion; multiple sensor modalities;
planners conserve energy experience; learning by demon- ­models; modelling of flexible and sensors; no moving parts in laser step change in visual servoing;
stration soft bodies; improved cybernetics scanners known events interpreted

LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+) LONG TERM (2020+)

Efficient wireless power transfer; Fault tolerant controllers; Complete robotic systems use Real-time, dynamic modelling and Visual processes on sensor or Sensing on chip; perception
system efficiency continues to ­automatic reconfiguration of learning methods (learning by interpretation allow for accurate dedicated processors; multi- techniques take over from fusion
increase controllers observation, flexible conditions) assessment of the robot’s and ­modal sensing for intrinsic safety (closer to human perception sys-
the world’s state tem); no longer task-dependent
Chapter 05

Conclusions
The vision this SRA presents will become a reality in Europe only if the right research is
undertaken, industry invests in developing products and governments create supportive
frameworks. 2020 will mark a point where the major players are defined and the market will
move from technology push to consumer pull. Economies of scale and continuous technology
and product development will result in decreasing costs and affordable robots for European
citizens. Europe’s strongest competitors in this endeavour are Korea, Japan, and the US.

The supply market is likely to be shaped by agile organisations, often start-ups, owning key
parts of the technology jigsaw. Early collaboration and astute intellectual property acquisition
will help build viable enterprises that will in time dominate the different markets. Instrumen-
tal in enabling these collaborations will be the identification of, and the investment in, those
technologies that will enable multiple new markets to grow across traditional dividing lines.
One of the messages of this SRA is that the cross-sector nature of the technologies will be
a defining factor in shaping the market. Ownership of key intellectual property in navigation,
sensing, perception, locomotion, and manipulation can be exploited in many ­different markets
through successful collaboration with existing stakeholders.

This SRA will not be judged on the detailed accuracy of its visions, but on its ability to
stimulate collaboration and investment in the technology and infrastructure required
to achieve a viable robotics industry in Europe in 2020.
 CHAPTER 05 | 36 Conclusions Conclusions CHAPTER 0 5 | 3 7

Take advantage of robotics Avoid ethical, legal, and societal

technology in all aspects of life issues becoming barriers
In manufacturing and the crafts robots increase productivity and quality, The widespread introduction of robots raises non-technical issues that

08
and offer relief from strenuous and hazardous working conditions. Robots may become barriers to market. Awareness must be developed at an

01
in services contribute to our quality of life and independence. Concerted early stage alongside the technology. Policy makers must engage with
European action is required to develop the technology underpinning industry to create frameworks for responsible operation. Safety and
professional and consumer products. ethical behaviour must be embedded into robots that make choices.

Master the challenge Enhance robotics training

of system integration and education
The greatest challenge in robotics is the integration of diverse technolo- Robotics experts and a well-trained workforce are required to research,

02

07
gies from a variety of fundamental domains into one coherent system. As design, develop, integrate, and support robotic products. Skill and resource
enablers of a broad range of innovative applications, robotics technolo- shortages in the areas of engineering, control theory, physics, computer
gies will often find their way into everyday devices. The development of science, and cognitive science would hold back the industry. Teaching
engineering skills, methods, and tools is crucial in this respect. these subjects using robotics can make them more fascinating

Create a European robotics Support cross-fertilisation to

supply chain maximise the impact of R&D
Opportunities lie not only in the production of robots, but also in the Despite the many possible applications, common core technologies under-
03

06
development, supply, and integration of sub-systems – a unique oppor- lie the industry’s product visions. As all sectors face similar challenges
tunity for technological start-ups. As the market grows robotic products Europe’s best opportunity lies with focusing on technologies that are
will start to influence technologies formerly driven by others. Robotics- needed across the domains. They can additionally benefit from reusing
based services will develop. technologies from civilian and defence developments.

Focus on the right research Create new markets through SME

and technologies support and technology transfer
Europe has a good research and technology base on which to build a Europe has a strong industrial robotics sector. Expanding this suc-

05
04

globally competitive robotics industry. Japan, Korea, and the US have cess into other domains depends on closing the gap between industry
strengths in related areas and are investing with the aim of leadership. and academia through extensive technology transfer and networking. A
A head start in first-wave technologies will greatly benefit Europe, but thriving SME culture will help to spread robotics technologies into new
adequate progress must be made in all areas. markets and to drive the application of cognition-based technologies.
 CHAPTER 05 | 38 Contributors Contributors CHAPTER 0 5 | 3 9

Contributors to the SRA >>> Politechnika Warszawska, Poland >>> Thales Optronics S.A., France
>>> Politecnico di Milano, Italy >>> Thales Research and Technology France, France
>>> ABB AB Ltd, Sweden >>> Forum for Intelligent Machines ry (FIMA), Finland >>> Politecnico di Torino, Italy >>> Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
>>> Aerospace Research and Technology Centre, Spain >>> Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnik und >>> PROFACTOR GmbH, Austria >>> Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
>>> Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany Automatisierung, Germany >>> R U Robots Limited, United Kingdom >>> Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
>>> Aldebaran Robotics, France >>> Fundación PRODINTEC, Spain >>> Reis GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik, Germany >>> Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
>>> Alenia Aeronautica S.P.A., Italy >>> Geothermal Anywhere s.r.o., Slovakia >>> RoboCluster, Denmark >>> Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
>>> Alenia SIA, Italy >>> German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence >>> Robosoft SA, France >>> Università degli Studi di Catania, Italy
>>> Associatione Italiana di Robotica e Automatione, Italy (DFKI), Germany >>> Robotdalen, Sweden >>> Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy
>>> Astrium GmbH, Germany >>> GPS Gesellschaft für Produktionssysteme GmbH, >>> RoboTech srl, Italy >>> Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
>>> BlueBotics SA, Switzerland ­Germany >>> Robowatch Technologies GmbH, Germany >>> Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy
>>> B
 remer Institut für Produktion und Logistik GmbH, >>> Güdel AG, Switzerland >>> S.C. PRO OPTICA S.A., Romania >>> Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Italy
Germany >>> Heemskerk Innovative Technology B.V., Netherlands >>> Sagem Défense Sécurité, France >>> Universität Bonn, Germany
>>> Canadian Space Agency, Canada >>> Helsinki University of Technology, Finland >>> SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG, Germany >>> Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Germany
>>> Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany >>> Heron Robots srl, Italy >>> SciSys UK Ltd, United Kingdom >>> Universität Osnabrück, Germany
>>> C
 entre National de la Recherche Scientifique – >>> Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Germany >>> Scuola di Robotica, Italy >>> Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, Spain
Laboratoire d’Analyse et d’Architecture des Systèmes >>> Imperial College London, United Kingdom >>> Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy >>> Universitatea “Aurel Vlaicu” din Arad, Romania
(CNRS-LAAS), France >>> INDRA Sistemas, S.A., Spain >>> Selex Galileo, Italy >>> Universitatea Politehnica din Bucureşti, Romania
>>> COMAU S.P.A., Italy >>> Industrial Research Institute for Automation and >>> SENER Ingeniería y Sistemas, S.A., Spain >>> Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
>>> C
 ommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – ­Measurements, Poland >>> Shadow Robot Company Ltd., United Kingdom >>> Université de Poitiers, France
Laboratoire d’ Intégration des Systèmes et >>> Ingeniería de Sistemas para la Defensa >>> SINTEF ICT, Norway >>> University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
des Technologies (CEA-LIST), France de España, S.A., Spain >>> Space Software Italia S.p.A., Italy >>> University of Patras, Greece
>>> Convergent Information Technologies GmbH, Austria >>> Institute for Systems and Robotics – Lisbon, Portugal >>> SPINEA s.r.o., Slovakia >>> University of Rousse, Bulgaria
>>> Cyberbotics S.à.r.l., Switzerland >>> International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Germany >>> Suomen Robotiikkayhdistys Ry, Finland >>> University of Zagreb, Croatia
>>> Danish Technological Institute, Denmark >>> Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Turkey >>> Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Finland >>> VDI | VDE Innovation und Technik GmbH, Germany
>>> DEIMOS Space S.L., Spain >>> IT + Robotics Srl, Italy >>> Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB), Czech Republic >>> VDMA Robotics + Automation, Germany
>>> Deltatron Oy, Finland >>> iTechnic Limited, United Kingdom >>> Technische Universität Wien, Austria >>> ZENON S.A., Greece
>>> Democritus University of Thrace, Greece >>> Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia >>> Technology Centre Hermia Oy, Finland >>> ZTS VVÚ KOŠICE a.s., Slovakia
>>> D
 eutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) >>> Kale Altinay Robotik ve Otomasyon A.S., Turkey >>> TECNALIA-FATRONIK, Spain >>> Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften,
Institut für Robotik und Mechatronik, Germany >>> Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium >>> TECNALIA-ROBOTIKER, Spain Switzerland
>>> Elsag Datamat Spa, Italy >>> KUKA Roboter GmbH, Germany >>> TEKNIKER, Spain
Contributing organisations are linked here:
>>> E
 nte per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, >>> L’Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et >>> TELEROBOT srl, Italy www.robotics-platform.eu/sra/contributors
Italy en Automatique (INRIA), France
>>> Erciyes Üniversitesi, Turkey >>> Laboratoire d’Informatique, de Robotique et de
>>> EUnited aisbl, Belgium Microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), France Robotic Visions to 2020 and beyond – The Strategic Research Agenda for robotics in Europe, 07/2009
>>> European Commission, Luxembourg >>> Lunds Universitet, Sweden EDItors EDITORIAL TEAM DESIGN AND CONCEPTION

>>> European Robotics Research Network (EURON), Belgium >>> National Institute of Research and Development for Rainer Bischoff, Tim Guhl David Bisset (iTechnic Ltd.); Martin Hägele, RTS Rieger Team, www.rts-riegerteam.de
KUKA Roboter GmbH Oliver Schwandner (Fraunhofer IPA); Christian Grimm, Stefanie Hilger,
>>> European Space Agency (ESA), France Mechatronics and Measurement Technique, Romania R12-V, Zugspitzstrasse 140 Geoff Pegman (R U Robots Ltd.); Verena Mayer, Jürgen Schulze-Ferebee
>>> EUROP-Ro, Romania >>> National Technical University of Athens, Greece 86163 Augsburg, Germany Flavio Fusco (Selex Galileo); ART DIRECTION AND ILLUSTRATION
>>> Fachhochschule Technikum Wien, Austria >>> Örebro Universitet, Sweden Phone: +49 821 797-3270, Fax: -41 3270 Bruno Tranchero (Alenia Aeronautica S.P.A.) Mirco Wüstholz
Email: timguhl@kuka-roboter.de PUBLISHER
>>> Forschungszentrum Informatik (FZI), Germany >>> Oto Melara S.p.A., Italy Internet: www.kuka-robotics.com European Robotics Technology Platform
 EUROP Contact Details
EUROP Secretariat, c/o EUnited Robotics
Diamant Building, Bd. A. Reyers 80
1030 Brussels, Belgium

Phone: +32 2706-8222, Fax: +32 2706-8223

Email: info@robotics-platform.eu
Internet: www.robotics-platform.eu

CARE Contact Details

The CARE Office, c/o KUKA Roboter GmbH
R12-V, Zugspitzstrasse 140
86165 Augsburg, Germany

Phone: +49 821 797-3270, Fax: +49 821 797-413270

Email: care@kuka-roboter.de
Internet: www.robotics-care.eu

Every effort was made to ensure the high quality

of the presented information, but no guarantee
of the correctness is given. The content of this
document including all images is protected by
copyright. The factual information may be re-used
as long as reference is made to “Robotic Visions
to 2020 and beyond – The Strategic Research
Agenda for robotics in Europe, 07/2009”.

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