Consortium

	Alma Mater Studiorum Università degli Studi di Bologna (UNIBO) Italy The activity of the University of Bologna will be conducted at the Research Centre CASY (Center for research on complex Automated Systems, http://www.casy.deis.unibo.it/) which is a research centre within the Department of Electronics, Computer Science and Systems (DEIS) at the University of Bologna – ITALY. At the moment the research centre counts 8 staff members and 15 post-doctoral fellows and PhD students. The Center takes advantage of the presence of a worldwide reputed Scientific Committee. The role of UNIBO in the project is focused on the design, simulation and implementation of advanced control algorithms addressing the specific interaction scenarios. UNIBO also coordinate the design of one prototype of aerial platform and the integration of the onboard avionics.
	Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ) Switzerland The Autonomous Systems Lab (ASL), from the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich (ETHZ), is an internationally renowned research unit in the field of autonomous robot design and navigation. Its field of competence spans from very small robots only a couple of centimeters in size, flying micro-helicopters all the way up to space rovers, service robots and semi-autonomous cars. ETHZ – ASL is one of the largest and most renowned robotics labs in Europe. It consists of around 35 researchers and application engineers and is involved in various national, European and ESA projects. ETH – ASL will strongly contribute to vision based control and navigation (image and position based visual servoing) of the aerial vehicle and the air vehicle design and system integration. ETH-ASL will also be involved in modeling, simulating and realizing an aerial vehicle which is capable of maintaining stable contacts with its environment (fixed wall docking, sliding wall contact).
	Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (UNINA) Italy The Research Unit UNINA operates in the Department of Systems and Computer Science Engineering of the University of Naples Federico II, where since more than twenty years is committed to research in robotics and automation. Since 1994 is active the PRISMA Lab (Projects on Industrial and Service Robotics Mechatronics and Automation, www.prisma.unina.it). The research group has obtained important results in different fields of the robotics and control of mechatronic systems. In detail: force control, visual servoing, redundant manipulators, lightweight flexible arms, dynamic parameter identification, dual-arm/hand manipulation, human-robot interaction, service robotics. The role of UNINA in the project is focused on the design and implementation of advanced control algorithms making use of visual and force sensing, both for interaction (interaction and visual-force control) and for some aspects of navigation (e.g. position regulation, localization of targets). UNINA is also responsible of the dissemination and promotion of exploitation for the entirely project.
	Universiteit Twente (UT) The Netherlands The research at UT is framed into institutes and the institute which will be involved in this project is IMPACT, in which all robotics and mechatronics activities take place. Prof. S. Stramigioli is chairing the robotic activities of the UT within the context of industrial and academic collaborations (www.ce.utwente.nl). The expertise of UT is focused on advanced robotic systems in modelling, control and mechatronic design. The modelling and control work founds its fundamentals in the framework of bond-graphs and port-Hamiltonian theory and is oriented to multi-body dynamics, telemanipulation/haptic and energy-efficiency. Several mechatronic designs have been realized in the fields of humanoids, medical applications and inspection robots. The role of UT in the project is focused on the design, simulation and implementation of the control in teleoperation tasks with haptic feedback. UT will also contribute to the development of low level strategy for the control of interactions (impedance and compliant control). Finally, UT will work on the mechatronic design of the arm and the end-effector which will be installed on the aerial service robot.
	Alstom Inspection Robotics (AIR) Switzerland Alstom Inspection Robotics is a spin-off of ALSTOM (Switzerland) Ltd and the ETH Zurich. Founded in 2006 Alstom Inspection Robotics develops inspection robots for large-scale facilities in the field of power generation and industrial processing. These devices increase the availability of facilities thanks to shorter servicing intervals, and improve safety for people and the environment. Alstom Inspection Robotics’ products are characterised by innovation, everyday reliability and a robustness appropriate for industrial conditions. Alstom Inspection Robotics’ products are based on a modular system of robotics elements which are combined into autonomous inspection robots tailor-made for each customer. Alstom Robotics experts who assemble each of these intelligent systems according to the individual requirements of facility operators have specialist and broad know-how of the integration of mechanics, electronics, software and measurement data processing. Leading Swiss research institutions such as the Federal Institutes of Technology Zurich and Lausanne, as well as Alstom’s R&D department, are closely involved in product development. This collaboration allows Alstom Inspection Robotics to implement cutting-edge technological innovations into tried-and-tested products suitable for industry. The role of AIR is focusing on providing industrial application scenarios and the according requirements for aerial service robots. The elaborated concepts and prototype systems will be evaluated in respect of the requirements and a future use for the inspection of large-scale facilities in the field of power generation and industrial processing.
	Università degli Studi di Salerno (UNISA) Third Party to UNINA The Research Unit UNISA operates in the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica e dell’Informazione at University di Salerno, where since more than ten years is committed to research in robotics and automation. Since 2004 is active the Automatica Lab equipped with two industrial robots Comau SiX with open control architecture and a prototype of automated warehouse. A more detailed description of the current available equipments, of the on-going research activities and of the scientific publications can be found on the web at www.automatica.unisa.it.