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Novel paradigms and approaches, towards AI-driven autonomous robots (AI, data and robotics partnership)
Funding Program | Cluster 4 - Destination 4: Digital and Emerging Technologies for Competitivness and Fit for the Green Deal | |
Call number | HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-01 | |
deadlines | Opening 08.12.2022 | Deadline 29.03.2023 17:00 |
Funding rate | 100 % | |
Call budget | € 30,000,000.00 | |
Estimated EU contribution per project | around € 8,000,000.00 | |
Link to the call | ec.europa.eu | |
Link to the submission | ec.europa.eu |
Call content
short description | The currently low level of autonomy achieved by most robotics systems is a major obstacle to the wide-scale deployment of robots with advanced capabilities in many real-world applications. Most robots still require an important level of human supervision. However, in many potentially valuable applications robots need to work with greater levels of autonomy to create effective end user added value. Future robotic systems will be required to autonomously adapt and alter their behaviours to respond to changes in the working environment and adjust to changes in task requirements without direct human supervision. |
Call objectives | Achieving next step autonomy in robotics will require greater integration of AI technologies into the physical functioning of robots. This in turn requires AI to operate in real time at pace with the physical motion of the robot. Interpreting the working environment, interacting with complex objects or people and making and updating decision making, all in real time, requires a significant advance from the current state of the art. This will require novel architectures both in software and hardware and will require AI algorithms compatible with physical, real time, robot operation. In terms of R&I advancement a paradigm shift is needed to remove silos between disciplines in order to weld together expertise and create a conceptual shift to reach the goals of next step autonomy for robotics. The primary outcome will be that important applications for robots become possible as a result of achieving next step autonomy in specific use cases and sectors. Achieving this goal will require improvements in perception, awareness of the operating environment, the ability to anticipate and an improved understanding of the consequences of particular sequences of action on the working environment. Proposals will need to address safety and security aspects at all levels, as well as consider the handling of data collection (respecting relevant regulation such as the GDPR and the revised Machinery Directive). Proposals should address the interdependence between safety, security and system performance with respect to the chosen application or use case. Proposals should address several of the following aspects of autonomy:
Multidisciplinary research activities should address all of the following:
All proposals are expected to embed mechanisms to assess and demonstrate progress (with qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking and progress monitoring, as well as illustrative application use-cases demonstrating well defined potential added value to end-users), and share communicable results with the European R&D community, through the AI-on-demand platform or Digital Industrial Platform for Robotics, public community resources, to maximise re-use of results, either by developers, or for uptake, and optimise efficiency of funding; enhancing the European AI, Data and Robotics ecosystem through the sharing of results and best practice. This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics. read more |
Expected results | Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcome(s):
Projects are also expected to contribute to the following additional outcomes:
read more |
Regions / countries for funding | EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Island (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна) |
eligible entities | EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) |
Mandatory partnership | Yes |
Project Partnership | To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic. A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality. Specific cases:
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other eligibility criteria | Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project. For the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the following definitions apply:
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Additional information
Topics |
Digitalisation, Digital Society, ICT |
Relevance for EU Macro-Region | EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region |
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) |
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Additional Information | All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible. Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc. The application form will have two parts:
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system). The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages. |
Call documents | HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 4 (580kB) |
Contact | National Contact Points for Horizon Europe Website |
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