Dear roboticists,

as organisers of the European Land Robot Trial 2010 (ELROB), an outdoor trial for unmanned autonomous vehicles, we would like to compile a free catalogue of all European researchers and industries involved in the domain of unmanned systems. This catalogue will be shown on the website “http://www.elrob.org/”.

If you feel that your research group should be presented in this compendium, too, please apply for an entry!
The entry is free of charge. It will contain information related to your

1. your contact information,
2. an abstract (600 characters),
   
3. a detailed description (6.000 characters) and
   
4. five pictures.

The abstract and one picture will be placed on the website and be used to feed search engines. The rest of the information will be available for download (pdf file).
Below you will find a form with all required fields. Please fill them in carefully and send the form back so we can include your information in the catalogue.
If you prefer, you can use the file in text format instead.

As the catalogue is not meant as a presentation of the ELROB participants only, your participation in the trials is no prerequisite. Nevertheless we would be honoured if you considered participating in ELROB anyhow.

Please help us bringing the European field of unmanned outdoor systems forward!

WORD version of form
TXT version of form

Kind regards
Frank E. Schneider
(Organiser of ELROB and Head of EuropeanRobotics)
elrob@fkie.fraunhofer.de

1. Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, Spain

   The Institute has research groups in the areas of Kinematics and Robot Design; Perception and Manipulation; Mobile Robotics and Intelligent Systems; and Automatic Control. The mobile robotics group performs basic and applied research to endow mobile robots and ubiquitous computing devices the necessary skills to aid humans in everyday life activities. These skills range from pure perceptual activities such as tracking, recognition or situation awareness to motion skills, such as localization, mapping, autonomous navigation, path planning or exploration.

   
   Detailed information

2. VisLab, Università di Parma, Italy

   The Artificial Vision and Intelligent Systems Laboratory of the University of Parma (VisLab) is the artificial vision research laboratory of University of Parma, Italy and is directed by Prof. Alberto Broggi. It started its activities in 1990 and, since then, the research group is focused on vehicular applications. VisLab is regarded as one of the leading centres for artificial vision applied to vehicles. VisLab's results are regarded as milestones in the vehicular robotics history. Among them, the ARGO Project, the TerraMax vehicle, and the BRAiVE prototype.

   
   Detailed information

3. Unmanned Systems Laboratory, Middlesex University, UK

   The unmanned systems lab at Middlesex University was set up to investigate the design, development and use of novel and creative unmanned systems for applications in the fields of Military, Security and Civilian areas. We specialise in small VTOL UAV systems, but also have ongoing research into the trafficability of unmanned ground vehicles and stand alone sensor systems.

   
   Detailed information

4. Artificial Intelligence Research Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

   The AI Group of the Freie Universität Berlin has been focusing its research efforts on the development of autonomous vehicles for urban transportation since 2006. The team started off with retrofitting a Dodge Caravan with drive-by-wire technology and sensors to participate in the 2007 Urban Grand Challenge. The autonomous car, Spirit of Berlin, reached the semi-finals and demonstrated staggering potential of unmanned vehicles for the future of transportation. Since then, research has continued with a new car, designed to meet the challenges of unmanned vehicles driving side by side with humans.

   
   Detailed information

5. Robotnik R&D Department, Spain

   Robotnik Automation, SLL has wide experience in the R&D of field and service robots. Our main research field has been the design of outdoor high mobility platforms. Our rovers have higher mobility than average products, and are able to climb stairs up and down. The integration of our modular arm on the platforms has allowed us to do some research in mobile manipulation. In the last years we have started also the integration of these products in field and service robotics applications. Due to this, we have done also some research in indoor/outdoor navigation and SLAM.

   
   Detailed information

6. Laboratory of Autonomous Mobile Systems and Laboratory of Modelling, Simulation and Control, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

   LAMS group is involved in autonomous mobile systems such as autonomous wheeled vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles and in Earth observation satellites. In most of these areas the group has research projects, application projects and military projects. Research work from unmanned ground vehicles involves group of small soccer robots as well as bigger outdoor autonomous mobile platforms. Main research is focused to the control, visual servoing, modelling, simulation, path planning, path tracking, environment sensing and recognition.

   
   Detailed information

7. Biosystems Engineering, University of Maribor, Slovenia

   We present a small automated self oriented mobile platform, which could one day replace human labour on the fields, by doing the work quicker, with higher precision and lower costs. To achieve this goal we equipped the platform with ultrasonic sensors, high resolution digital camera and an onboard embedded computer. The embedded computer captures data from ultrasonic sensors and digital camera in real time and transmits them to off site workstation for further analysis. We tested the robot to detect simple objects, where several simulation runs proved promising successful rates.

   
   Detailed information

8. Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements, Poland

   The main objective of the TALOS project is to develop and field test the innovative concept of a mobile, modular, scalable, autonomous and adaptive system for protecting European borders. The complete system applies both aerial and ground unmanned vehicles, equipped with multi-sensor data acquisition systems, with active imaging, such as laser, radar, infra-red and visible cameras, acting as both the watching stations and the first reaction patrols and supervised by the Command and Control Centre.

   
   Detailed information

9. Institute for Autonomous Systems Technology, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Germany

   Our research group is headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. H.-J. Wuensche, professor for “Autonomous Systems Technology” and successor of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ernst D. Dickmanns at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UBM). Main focus of research at the Autonomous Systems Technology Institute is the development of cognitive autonomous mobile robot platforms. For example, such systems are to be enabled to autonomously explore and navigate in unknown unstructured environments. Main Sensors are vision and LIDAR based systems. As a demonstration platform, MuCAR-3, a modified VW Touareg, is available.

   
   Detailed information

10. Autonomous Mobile Robotics Laboratory, Royal Military Academy, Belgium

    The work will be demonstrated on different mobile platforms (indoor and outdoor) (ROBUDEM). The different capabilities will be integrated in a single framework based on CORBA middleware. Finally other research on specialized mobility in unstructured terrains includes the study and development of alternative propulsion systems like legged robots (AMRU-1 to AMRU-5)

    
    Detailed information

11. GruVA - Group of Artificial Life, University of Lisbon, Portugal

    In GruVA, we are interested in developing biologically inspired autonomous robots. The group's main contributions are on behaviour-based models for action selection as well as for locomotion control, topological and metric models for mapping and localisation in dynamic environments, tele-operation and teamwork for critical tasks, and more recently on robotic vision for obstacle detection and localisation. Besides all theoretical developments, the group has been involved in practical projects in partnership with industry, in particular in the context of humanitarian demining.

    
    Detailed information

12. Robotics Research Group - Project “MACP4Log”, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

    The Robotic Research Group (RRG) from Politecnico di Torino coordinates the three-years (2008-2010) project “MACP4Log - Mobile Autonomous and Cooperating robotic Platforms for supervision and monitoring of large LOGistic surfaces”, aimed at the study and development of a prototype of a mobile robotic platform, with on-board vision systems and sensors, integrating a flexible wireless communication solution, able to move autonomously in large logistic spaces, and to communicate with a supervisor and other similar platforms to achieve a coordinated action to carry out specific tasks.

    
    Detailed information

13. Intelligent Systems Lab Amsterdam - Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Robotics Research Group - Project “MACP4Log”, Netherlands

    The IAS group develops methodologies to create intelligent autonomous systems that perceive their environment through sensors and use that information to generate intelligent, goal-directed behaviour in a perception-action cycle. These intelligent systems may be single systems, or multiple systems working together. In particular, we study perception for autonomous systems based on vision & sensor fusion and we study decision making under uncertainty for cooperating intelligent systems.

    
    Detailed information

14. Institute for Computer Science VII, University Würzburg, Germany

    The Outdoor MERLIN (Mobile Experimental Robots for Locomotion and Intelligent Navigation) platform is optimized for rough outdoor environments by a reinforced chassis with good ground clearance as well as for easy adaptation to different sensor and payload configurations, according to mission needs. Despite its small size (length 50 cm, mass < 15 kg) it offers through its on-board data handling system different options for autonomous reactions (e.g. navigation, obstacle avoidance) and drive assistance functionalities (e.g. warnings for speed limits, dangerous inclinations) for a tele-operator.

    
    Detailed information

15. Robotics Innovation Centre, Universität Bremen, Germany

    The Robotics Innovation Center (RIC), headed by Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchner, develops mobile robot systems that are able to solve complex tasks on land, under water, in the air, or in space. These design concepts often benefit from the variety of nature: climbing/walking four-, six-, or eight-legged robots, snake-like underwater vehicles, and dual-arm transport robots resemble patterns from a natural environment, combining advantages of new materials with successfully evolved locomotion patterns and forms.

    
    Detailed information

16. Parosha Innovators b.v., Sint Annaparochie, Sint Annaparochie

    Parosha Innovators b.v. is founded in 1998 and is a subsidiary of The Parosha Group b.v. Parosha Innovators’ core activities are Engineering, Designing, Researching, Developing, and Manufacturing Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (SUGV’s) (Cheatah VTE-2500 and Cheatah VTE-3600) and large UGV’s (Cheatah VTE-3900) and hydraulic powered manipulator-arm and robotic-arm systems and grippers and special tools for UGV’s purposes. Parosha Innovators b.v. is also developing long-range battery-driven-systems, separate track systems for SUGV’s and electrical- mechanical- and hydraulic drive systems, wheel-suspension systems, and remote control systems for third parties. Parosha Innovators b.v. is using the latest 3D-CAD and Stress-Analyses software for all designs and exist of the following departments : Engineering, Research & Development, Machining, Manufacturing, Welding and Construction, Assembly, Test & Evaluation , Field service and Support and has 84 full-time employees and has two production facilities.

    
    Detailed information

17. Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements-PIAP, Warsaw, Poland

    PIAP is a Polish designer and producer of EOD/IEDD robots (INSPECTOR, EXPERT, SCOUT, EXPLORER device). Since 2000, PIAP is a permanent supplier of mobile robots and robotic devices for Special Forces (Police, Army, Border Guard, and Government Protection Bureau). A growing terrorism threat and development of techniques used by terrorists increased the demands for the equipment supporting missions of Special Forces.
    To meet these requirements PIAP's engineers constantly work on new intelligent devices, which will make easier tasks of Special Forces.

    
    Detailed information

18. AASS Learning Systems Lab, Örebro University, Sweden

    Four research directions related to unmanned systems can be identified. Safe Operation in Dynamic Environments: navigation in dynamic, structured and semi-structured traditional and ambient environments; 3D Perception: efficient representation of 3D data, 6DOF scan registration, scanning-while-moving, semantic mapping, and fusion of visual and range information; Robotic Map Learning: learning of spatial and appearance-based maps; Robot Vision: mapping of visual data to consistent internal models for change detection, visual SLAM, appearance-based localization and people tracking.

    
    Detailed information

19. Service Robotic Group - DIEES, University of Catania, Italy

    Service robotic group has been involved in many research activities concerning the development of mobile robots for outdoor applications. Main field of activities have been volcanic exploration with the development of the ROBOVOLC robot, the WHEELEG hybrid robot, and the M6 articulated robot. Research activities have been performed also for the adoption of UAV for gas collection and visual inspections. Other activities involve agricultural applications for fruit picking and greenhouse spraying.

    
    Detailed information

20. Service Mobile Robotics Laboratory, VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic

    Since its establishment in 1989, the dept. has been focusing on the complex field of robotics - in education, research and science and expert services for practice. According to the current trends, the department members concentrate mainly on the service robotics and robototechnics and on application of robots in non-machinery branches.
    Currently, the dep deals with problems related to detection and emergency robots for rescuers, firefighters, and pyrotechnics. The department has its technical background in the Robotics Centre laboratories and also in the Centre of Advanced Innovation.

    
    Detailed information

21. Autonomous Mobile Robotics Group, University of Zagreb, Croatia

    AMOR Group research is focused on the development of a control system for mobile robots, which enables them to: (i) autonomously navigate in unknown and dynamic environments, (ii) interact with human beings providing them various services, and (iii) interact with distributed intelligent networked devices in the environment in order to extend the scope and reliability of provided services. In order to achieve appropriate level of robot competences in each of these areas, AMOR Group applies various methods from control theory and estimation, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence.

    
    Detailed information

22. Autonomous Mobile Robotics Laboratory, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

    The developed ten wheels rover (see figure 1) is a robotic general purpose, medium sized, mobile platform provided with an arm able to manipulate objects, to collect samples and to carry tools for digging and performing several tasks.
    The present version of the machine has reduced capability of autonomous operation, but will be used in the future as a test bed for research work aimed to increase its autonomy. The carrier of the robot is characterized by ten wheels, which are driven by two electric motors, one for each side by means of a belt drive and chain transmission.
    The rigid arm has 5 degrees of freedom: two of them are for the shoulder, one for the elbow, one for the wrist, and the last one for the gripper. The arm was designed to handle a maximum load of 70 kg. The control system is implemented using a digital reconfigurable platform that incorporates a DSP, an FPGA and a commercial floating point CPU. The teleoperation is possible by means of a wireless HMI.

    
    Detailed information

23. Mobile Machine and Vision Laboratory, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom

    The Mobile Machines and Vision Laboratory (MMVL) is a research group in the Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI) and include Computer Vision, Embedded Systems Engineering, Interaction design, Robotics and Swarm Robotics.
    We employ a wide range of conventional sensors and sensing techniques and chemical sensors produced in-house. They are applied on robots and multi robot systems, ranging from medium sized mobile robots applied in ordinary environments and human machine interactions play an important role.

    
    Detailed information

24. Joint Research Unit (CATEC-AICIA), Parque Tecnológico y Aeronáutico de Andalucía, Spain

    The Joint Research Unit CATEC-AICIA was created following the agreement of the Andalusian Foundation for Aerospace Development (FADA) and the Association for Research and Industrial Development of Andalusia (AICIA) signed June 2008. CATECAICIA combines the strong research capacity and expertise in European projects of AICIA with the very good facilities, management, technology development and industrial expertise of CATEC (more information at www.catec.aero). This Joint Research Unit has an active participation in projects related to unmanned systems.

    
    Detailed information

25. Robotics Research Lab, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Using a robotic vehicle in off-road environments poses high demands on its hardware as well as its software. Crucial capabilities include a reliable detection of numerous types of obstacles and the ability to deal with various complex situations. Furthermore, its control system should be flexible and easy to extend.
    With these demands in mind and with the desire to solve fundamental scientific problems in the field of off-road robot navigation, the Robotics Research Lab at the University of Kaiserslautern started the development of the entirely autonomous vehicle RAVON.

    
    Detailed information

26. MART & robotika.cz, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic

    We are a group of researches from academia and industry formed around Charles University in Prague and robotika.cz. Our focus ranges from low-level hardware via sensor processing to high-level modelling and control. To promote robotics among general public and to attract young people to join the field we organize robotic competitions (Robotour, Czech national cup of Eurobot). In the last ten years, we also actively took part in several other competitions. At robotika.cz, we publish advices and experiences for beginners and intermediate level roboticians.

    
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27. Real Time Systems Group (RTS), Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany

    The Real Time Systems Group (RTS) has focused its research on the field of mobile robots for many years. These systems have to interact with their surroundings in a correct, reliable, and secure way. Our main research areas are autonomous navigation in indoor and outdoor environments, multi robot interaction, and sensor fusion. In cooperation with industrial partners, substantial research results have been transferred to prototype robotic applications, for example an autonomous forklift truck. Since 2006, the RTS is demonstrating its latest research results annually at the ELROB.

    
    Detailed information

28. Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Germany

    At the Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, the research focuses on 3D computer vision and real-time learning. These basic technologies are applied to outdoor robotic scenarios, which provide the ultimate litmus test for robustness and usability. Different vehicles (AMOR, PSYCHE, DORIS) are now operated to cover flexibly a very wide range of possible applications. By a 3D environment model, several types of objects like roads, obstacles, or persons are recognised. A full featured local and global map allows navigating autonomously in complex terrain while handling the present objects appropriately.

    
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29. Robotics and InteractionS, LAAS / CNRS, France

    Autonomous mobile robotics has been a research topic studied at LAAS/CNRS since the late 70's. We have always favoured a constructive and integrative way of thinking robotics, aiming at defining robotics as a wholesome scientific discipline. A wide variety of problems are studied: environment perception and modelling, path planning, task planning, task execution control, motion control, decisional architecture, heterogeneous multi-robots systems, learning, human robot interaction...
    Within field robotics, our focus is currently on aero-terrestrial multi-robot systems.

    
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30. Jacobs Robotics Group, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany

    The Jacobs University Robotics Group investigates autonomous intelligent systems. The related research in the context of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) deals with intelligent methods to support the operation of UGV, ranging from tele-operation - including single operator control of multi vehicle teams - up to full autonomy. Especially, the group has high expertise in 3D Perception and Mapping, which are relevant for UGV control in unstructured environments and for mission deliverables. Jacobs Robotics has a.o. developed a new method for online 3D Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM).

    
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