Robotics
Bio-robotics at EMNantes: :
Over the next 4 years work will be carried out on three Bio-Robotics projects:
- The RAAMO project (supported by the ANR - Agence Nationale de la Recherche)
- The EVA Project (supported by ANR)
- The ANGELS project (supported by the EU - FET Embodied Intelligence)
The first of these projects, coordinated by EMNantes, is a continuation of a CNRS-ROBEA project aiming to equip our prototype robot eel, currently in production at IRCCyN, with an innovative bio-inspired sense of autonomy: an « electric sense ». "
The second, in which we are involved in the fluid mechanics modeling, is to design and implement a fly-robot micro-drone "
The third project, for which EMNants is also the co-ordinator, is to build a re-configurable robot eel able to detach itself into several smaller robots, and vice versa, each being equipped with an « electric sense » enabling it to « see » and communicate. In addition to these three projects, which constitute the heart of our present and future research, more prospective research on snake robots is under way to prepare the renewal of research on this topic.
On a completely different topic, past work on the dynamics of non-linear structures will be optimized through an ongoing cooperation with the virtual reality team of CEA de Fontenay aux roses.
Lastly, prospects for the industrial development of this activity are also under consideration through the SAMPLEO project supported by the company IGEB. The goal is to develop a robot for inspection of grain silos. In conclusion, bio-robotics research at EMNantes aims to extend and diversify not only the means of locomotion (swimming, flying, crawling) and perception but also the animal models (eels, snakes, insects) and their use (inspection of industrial sewers, silos ...).
Research on Human Machine Interaction at EMNantes :
Research activity on the man-machine interaction began in the Robotics team in 2006, in close collaboration with the Psychotec team. The goal is to open up the scope of the robotics team to problems of human robot interaction.
The first project was to support the future of medical robotics project in terms of learning and simulation, as well as upstream analysis of user activities. Work is carried out on learning technical gestures using robot arms. We measure the effect of haptic learning on the collaboration between experts and learners.
We are also working on the generalization of these learning methods using haptic robot arms in fields such as writing or drawing (VR4D project with Clarity (Laval) and regional industry).
The ultimate goal is to use a complete communicating robot to support and assist the learning of technical gestures in different areas (robot assistants and social robots).
We work especially with other IRCCyN teams, with the CHU (teaching hospital) of Nantes, and with the company Haption.
