Scientific Projects

Robotics, typically science of designing artifact, consists of proper research themes on formal study of machine autonomy (studies of fundamental loop of "perception-decision-action"), together with integrated platforms uniting those themes. Those robotic platforms are industrial ones that appeared from the 1970's, like mobile robots (for internal and external environments), robot manipulators, and surgical assistance robot, and now, they are flying robots and humanoid robots. Each platform forms a full-fledged research goal which makes progress on the themes of perception, decision, and action and related research fields (mechatronics, signal processing, control theory, computer science and artificial intelligence), by fulfilling the demands of innovation in the diversified sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, space and medicine and also by anticipating future markets such as personal robotics.

It is in this logic that the CNRS researchers has been leaning on the integrated platforms of manufacturing robotics, mobile robotics, exploring robotics, flying robotics and medical robotics since their beginning. It is in this logic that the CNRS obtains a platform of humanoid robot today.

A humanoid robot is first characterized by its physical complexity that has its dynamics as dominating factor of modeling and action control. As a result of this complexity, a humanoid robot has a capacity of task whose diversity is incomparable to possibilities of other platforms. The humanoid robot also raises a challenge for the study on autonomy of systems in its three components, perception, decision and action. Finally, by its own form and its capacity of interaction, the humanoid robot constitutes a unique platform to investigate profound research direction recently developed, such as cognitive robotics and opens a new synergy with the neurosciences.

The humanoid robot not only induces research goals concerning many robotic themes, but also opens new interfaces between robotics and human science, owing to the double-sided approach of design for understanding and understanding for design.

In terms of impacting issues, the humanoid robotics addresses:

• Profound investigation on proper robotic themes, particularly in controlling complex mechanical systems,
• Advancement in research on personal robotics and robotics for assistance
• Advancement in study on human-machine relationship,

and beyond robotics, in the life science and virtual world,

• Advancement on biomechanics and for its medical applications,
• Advancement through original approach of engineering science and technique on synergy with neurosciences, for understanding of computational mechanism that precedes human behavior, and