The euROBIN network, coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), brought fifteen AI-powered robots, including humanoids, quadrupeds, drones and industrial systems, to the European Parliament. The live demonstration and the panel discussion that followed drew around 170 senior representatives from European and international politics, industry and research, including Members of the European Parliament, CEOs of European companies, and representatives from the European Commission’s unit for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
The event was the culmination of three days of preparation: from 26 to 28 August, fifteen European robotics and AI teams (from places like Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland) gathered at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel for the final euROBIN Hackathon, testing their technologies and rehearsing their demonstrations.
“Europe can do robotics, we’re demonstrating that impressively here. Now we need to ensure that European cutting-edge research also produces European market leaders,” stated Axel Voss, Member of the European Parliament and host of the euROBIN demonstration.
The robots were presented across three thematic scenarios: Robotic manufacturing for a circular economy, Personal robots for enhanced quality of life and well-being, and Outdoor robots for sustainable communities. ISR-Lisboa led the Personal robots scenario, and the demonstration went great for the team on site: Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Serra, Rui Bettencourt, Rodrigo Coimbra and Afonso Certo.
Four robots, developed by ISR-Lisboa, DLR, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Centre Inria de l’Université de Lorraine, worked together to clear a table, autonomously identifying objects scattered across it and sorting them into drawers, the bin, the fridge and the washing machine. Beyond contributing one of the four robots, ISR-Lisboa was responsible for the full demonstration in this scenario, and has also led the organisation of the project’s Hackathons and Coopetitions throughout euROBIN.
“The demonstration covered a wide range of applications for autonomous robots, from assistive robots for the home, hospitals, restaurants and hotels, to outdoor robots capable of navigating challenging terrain, flying or making deliveries, as well as industrial robots. The aim was to show policymakers and European business leaders that Europe has a very strong knowledge base in this area, and that we need to invest in physical AI so as not to miss the boat we’ve already missed with digital AI. It was very important to have a Portuguese institution and a team from Técnico playing such a relevant role in this project and this event, demonstrating that Portuguese robotics carries weight in Europe, and that it should also be, in Portugal, a strategic area for investment in research” shared Pedro Lima, President of ISR-Lisboa.
More about the project: euROBIN (European ROBotics and AI Network) is a network of excellence bringing together Europe’s leading research expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and coordinated by DLR. Its core consortium comprises 31 organisations from 14 countries and 26 European cities. ISR-Lisboa takes part in Workpackage 2, “Personal robots for enhanced quality of life and well-being”, and coordinates the project’s Hackathons and Coopetitions.
