OCTOPUS ICT2007 8 5 Embodied Intelligence Novel Design

OCTOPUS ICT-2007. 8. 5 Embodied Intelligence Novel Design Principles and Technologies for a New Generation of High Dexterity Soft-bodied Robots Inspired by the Morphology and Behaviour of the Octopus An Integrating Project of the ICT-FET Proactive Initiative EMBODYi (2009 – 2013) The Octopus: paradigm for embodied § No rigid structures: capability to squeeze into small intelligence apertures Virtually infinite number of DOF § 40 N pulling force (1 arm, @3/4 of length) § All-direction bending § Manipulation capability with unexpected § 194% of elongation of each arm dexterity § Variable and controllable stiffness § Distributed control (50 x 106 neurons/arm, more than § Objectives in the brain) Partnership § Investigate and understand octopus sensory-motor capabilities § Incorporate them in new design approaches and ICT and robotics technologies § Build an 8 -arm-body octopus-like artefact, with similar performance in water, in terms of dexterity, speed, control, flexibility, and applicability New Design Principles and Technologies Expected Results § New science and knowledge on the octopus § New ICT and robotics technologies for sensing, actuation and control (soft actuators, muscular hydrostats, flexible tactile sensors, distributed control, coordination of many DOF, smart skin, variable stiffness materials) § An 8 -arm octopus-like robot web site: www. octopus-project. eu SSSA (I) Coordinator Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Cecilia Laschi HUJI (IL) Hebrew University of Jerusalem Binyamin Weizmann (IL) Hochner Weizmann Institute of Science Tamar Flash UZH (CH) University of Zurich Rolf Pfeifer IIT (I) Italian Institute o Technology Fabio Benfenati Darwin Caldwell UREAD (UK) University of Reading Richard Bonser FORTH (GR) Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas Dimitris P. Tsakiris Project Number: 231608 Project Duration: 48 months Project Cost: 9. 745. 000 € EC contribution: 7. 600. 000 € e-mail: cecilia. laschi@sssup. it