Autonomous Interacting Robots is a newly emerging supra-disciplinary field integrating key insights from different disciplines such as multi-agent systems, robotics, control systems, computer vision, machine learning, and verification. It provides new methodologies and tools for future applications in areas such as maintenance, logistics and diagnostics, field robotics, and service robotics. Industry and society need the multidisciplinary expertise of internationally oriented young researchers trained in these different areas. Our aim is to prepare a new generation of scientists and engineers in Europe that can understand, develop, and implement the interacting autonomous systems of the future, such as in mobile service robotics (e.g. the factory of the future), teams of autonomous space robots (e.g. to construct a lunar or Martian base), and mobile sensor networks for logistics and diagnostics purposes. Such applications require autonomous robotic systems that operate individually, but also can collaborate as a team to fulfil these new challenges.
This Marie Curie European Training Network aims to cover these needs by providing a unique multidisciplinary and integrative research and training programme focussed on Learning and Planning, Coordination (in a multi-agent context), Computer Vision, Safety and Reliability, and Physical Interaction (e.g. manipulation, human-machine interaction). The acquired knowledge will be implemented in practical (teams of) Autonomous Interacting Robots in a number of distinct real world industrial settings. The in-depth integrative training aims to turn Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) into international multidisciplinary experts, who are able to utilise and extend insights from these different areas. Each ESR will be trained both in international, complementary autonomous systems research centres with excellent track records, and in international industrial research laboratories (see Partners).