Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Reliable Lifelong Navigation for Mobile Robots (LIFENAV)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Systems and communication engineering
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-08-01
End date: 2016-07-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2499228.0
EU funding (EUR): 2499228.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Our goal is to develop the fundamental approaches required to design mobile robot systems that can reliably operate over extended periods of time in dynamically changing environments. To achieve this, robots need the ability to learn and update appropriate models of their environment including the dynamic aspects and to effectively incorporate all the information into their decision-making processes. The time is ripe for the next step in navigation: the algorithms for state estimation and navigation in static environments have reached a high level of sophistication and the underlying models and learning algorithms are well-understood. Our goal is to take these approaches further and to develop effective and object-oriented three-dimensional representations, that cover all aspects of the dynamic environment required for reliable and long-term mobile robot navigation. The outcome of this research will be relevant for all applications that are based on autonomous navigation in real-world scenarios including autonomous robots, mobile manipulation, transportation systems, or autonomous cars.

Keywords: autonomous navigation,state estimation,perception
The Origin, Accretion and Differentiation of Extreme Volatiles in Terrestrial Planets (NOBLE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Earth system science
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-04-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2747271.0
EU funding (EUR): 2747271.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Identifying the processes by which the terrestrial planets acquired, retained and redistributed extreme volatile elements remains a fundamental science question. Although the halogens, Br, Cl and I, represent a powerful potential tracer, the concentrations of Br and I within most samples is too low for most laboratories - and the halogens have been ignored. We detail a Manchester innovation which enables halogens in these samples to be readily analysed. We propose to: 1) Make the first direct experimental measurements of the partitioning behaviour of the halogens relevant to terrestrial mantle melting and planetesimal differentiation; 2) Establish the character of halogens available for accretion from chondrites; 3) Investigate the effect of planetesimal differentiation on the halogens from evolved meteorite glass/mineral systems; 4) Identify the role of massive impactors from lunar volcanic glasses; and 5) Identify the effect of planetary surface processes in the absence of life from alteration products in Martian meteorites. On the Earth we will establish the first halogen mid ocean ridge and ocean island basalt halogen data base. This will enable us to: 1) Characterise the respective mantle source halogen-noble gases; 2) Test models of volatile element recycling into the mantle by exploiting the high I/Cl of the ocean sediments caused by organic sequestration; 3) Identify whether the relationship between halogens and noble gases in subducted fluids (pilot data) is preserved in the mantle; 4) Use the mantle iodine concentration together with 129Xe as a tool to quantify the mass of dead iodine recycled into the respective reservoirs. 5) Identify or devise mantle convection and primordial reservoir source models compatible with the new data set.

Keywords: terrestrial mantle,volatile origin,halogens,noble gases,structure,meteorites,moon,mars
How long have human activities been affecting the climate system? (EARLYHUMANIMPACT)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Earth system science
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-07-01
End date: 2016-12-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2370767.0
EU funding (EUR): 2370767.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Human activities are altering the global climate system at rates faster than ever recorded in geologic time. Ample observational evidence exists for anthropogenic climate change including measured increased in atmospheric CO2, temperature and sea level rise. Biomass burning causes CO2 emissions of ~50% of those from fossil-fuel combustion and so are highly likely to influence future climate change. However, aerosols continue to be the least understood aspect of the modern climate system and even less is known about their past influence. Anthropogenic aerosols may have altered the global climate system for thousands of years as suggested by comparing late-Holocene greenhouse-gas concentrations to those from previous interglacials. The decrease in the spatial extent of forests beginning ~8000 yrs BP may be related to early agricultural activity including forest clearance through burning which should leave a quantifiable signal in climate proxies. We pioneered a ground-breaking technique for determining a specific molecular marker of biomass burning (levoglucosan) which can record past fire in ice cores and lake sediments. The research incorporates continuous ice and lake core climate records from seven continents with parallel histories of fire regime. These can provide essential insight into the interplay between climate and human activity, especially with the advent of agriculture. Key objectives include: 1) How does biomass burning change through time and space? 2) How do climate parameters respond to or correlate with changes in biomass burning? 3) Did fires increase ~8000 and/or ~5000 years ago? 4) Can natural and anthropogenic fires be differentiated? If so, how do fires and associated climate change ascribed to human activity differ from natural biomass burning?

Keywords: early human impact,specific molecular marker,ice cores,lake sediments
ULTRALONG FIBRE LASERS (ULTRALASER)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Systems and communication engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-05-01
End date: 2016-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1659771.0
EU funding (EUR): 1659771.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project aims to develop a new research concept of ultra-long fibre lasers. The novelty of the concept is in the ground-breaking idea to use laser in the communication applications as a transmission medium rather than as a source of radiation. Ultra-long Raman fibre lasers (first demonstrated in 2005 by the Aston Photonics Research Group led by the applicant) present an area of interdisciplinary research at the interface of high-speed communications, laser physics, optical signal processing, nonlinear science, and mathematical theories of wave turbulence and disordered systems. The project will explore a broad range of research directions emerging from our original proposal of using ultra-long Raman fibre laser technique for quasi-lossless optical transmission with a focus on the four major areas: (i) communications - the development of advanced cross-domain (both in space and frequency) flat-gain, zero power excursion transmission schemes; development of long reach non-repeatered fibre transmission links based on the concept of quasi-lossless fibre spans; (ii) secure communications fundamentally new non-quantum approaches to key distributions using ultra-long laser; (iii) laser science up-scaling of pulse energy to record levels in mode-locked lasers by substantial increase of fibre laser cavity; new types of lasers, including ultra-long random lasers and “modeless” ultra-long lasers; (iv) underlying physics and applications of ultra-long fibre laser optical wave turbulence in fibre lasers; new distributed sensing techniques using ultra-long Raman fibre laser. The proposed program will be unique internationally and will combine the symbiotic development of new scientific ideas and techniques based on the concept of ultra-long fibre laser with the practical engineering design considerations of immediate and future technology applications.

Keywords: high-speed communications,fibre lasers,wave turbulence,optical solitons.
Analysis of Multiscale Systems Driven by Functionals (ANAMULTISCALE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Mathematical foundations
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-04-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1390000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1390000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Many complex phenomena in the sciences are described by nonlinear partial differential equations, the solutions of which exhibit oscillations and concentration effects on multiple temporal or spatial scales. Our aim is to use methods from applied analysis to contribute to the understanding of the interplay of effects on different scales. The central question is to determine those quantities on the microscale which are needed to for the correct description of the macroscopic evolution. We aim to develop a mathematical framework for analyzing and modeling coupled systems with multiple scales. This will include Hamiltonian dynamics as well as different types of dissipation like gradient flows or rate-independent dynamics. The choice of models will be guided by specific applications in material modeling (e.g., thermoplasticity, pattern formation, porous media) and optoelectronics (pulse interaction, Maxwell-Bloch systems, semiconductors, quantum mechanics). The research will address mathematically fundamental issues like existence and stability of solutions but will mainly be devoted to the modeling of multiscale phenomena in evolution systems. We will focus on systems with geometric structures, where the dynamics is driven by functionals. Thus, we can go much beyond the classical theory of homogenization and singular perturbations. The novel features of our approach are - the combination of different dynamical effects in one framework, - the use of geometric and metric structures for coupled partial differential equations, - the exploitation of Gamma-convergence for evolution systems driven by functionals.

Keywords: applied analysis,evolutionary systems,mechanical models,multiscale problems,gamma convergence
Seamless Human Robot Interaction in Dynamic Environments (SHRINE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: ERC Advanced Grant Interdisciplinary Panel
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-05-01
End date: 2016-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2490000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2490000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A major barrier exists preventing today's and future interactive robots from smoothly acting in joint workspaces in real-world and in an efficient and socially compatible manner on human terms. Robots lack the ability to plan actions in a timely manner in order to match dynamics of environment and humans. Environment and human motion dynamics have to be known and represented in a way that sufficient prediction and planning quality is provided even in complex dynamic scenarios with many interaction partners accounting for social aspects. Robots need to be aware of human communication principles in order to estimate intentions and to predict future behavior. SHRINE aims at breaking this barrier in order to provide future robots with interactive capabilities similar to those of humans and to facilitate joint action of humans and robots sharing one world. SHRINE targets an integrated approach towards interaction in complex dynamically changing human-centered environments in terms of a hierarchical framework. SHRINE will investigate dynamic systems approaches to haptic and affective communication in human-robot interaction to consider intention and affect within an integrated robotic control and action planning framework. SHRINE seeks to extend the conventional, purely physics-driven motion prediction approach by estimating intentions of humans and merging these estimates with the dynamic physical environment model. SHRINE will integrate findings from psychology and sociology into the latest path planning and navigation methods. The approach of SHRINE is highly innovative with pioneering character in the integrated approach as well as in the various sub-fields, strongly interdisciplinary bridging engineering approaches and human sciences, and constitutes visionary high-risk research with high-impact on future technologies in the fields of personal assistant and care robots, human-robot collaboration in manufacturing, and autonomous robots in hum-centered environments.

Keywords: robotics,human-robot interaction,robot control,path planning,emotion modeling
DECODING THE NEURAL CODE OF HUMAN MOVEMENTS FOR A NEW GENERATION OF MAN-MACHINE INTERFACES (DEMOVE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Systems and communication engineering
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-07-01
End date: 2016-06-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2431473.0
EU funding (EUR): 2431473.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The generation of a movement is the combination of discrete events (action potentials) generated in the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. These discrete events are the result of ion exchanges across membranes, electrochemical mechanisms, and active ion pumping through energy expenditure. The ensemble of spike trains discharged in the various parts of the neuromuscular system constitutes the neural code for movements. Recording and interpretation of this code provides the means for decoding the motor system. The main limitation in the investigation of the motor system is the current impossibility of detecting and processing in the intact human, during natural movements, the activity of a sufficiently large number of motor neurons and sensory afferents (neural code) to associate a functional meaning to the cellular mechanisms that ultimately determine a movement. This limitation in turn impedes to answer to many fundamental questions on the control of human movements. These questions have tremendous implications in the development of man-machine interface systems. In this project, we propose the development of advanced electrode systems for in-vivo electrophysiological recordings from nerves and muscles in humans and new computational methods/models for extracting functionally significant information on human movement from these recordings. The highly innovative focus is that of providing the link between the cellular mechanisms and the behavior of the whole motor system in the intact human, i.e. to build the bridge between the neural and functional understanding of movement. On the basis of these new technologies, we aim at answering open questions in movement neuroscience and using novel principles for man-machine interaction. Specific applications in man-machine interaction will be related to neurorehabilitation technologies, such as functional electrical stimulation, myoelectric and peripheral neural prostheses.

Keywords: neural engineering,neurorehabilitation,electromyography,motor neurons,bioelectrodes
Modeling, interpreting and manipulating digital video (VIDEOWORLD)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-01-01
End date: 2016-12-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2454090.0
EU funding (EUR): 2454090.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Digital video is everywhere, at home, at work, and on the Internet. Yet, effective technology for organizing, retrieving, improving, and editing its content is nowhere to be found. Models for video content, interpretation and manipulation inherited from still imagery are obsolete, and new ones must be invented. With a new convergence between computer vision, machine learning, and signal processing, the time is right for such an endeavor. Concretely, we will develop novel spatio-temporal models of video content learned from training data and capturing both the local appearance and nonrigid motion of the elements---persons and their surroundings---that make up a dynamic scene. We will also develop formal models of the video interpretation process that leave behind the architectures inherited from the world of still images to capture the complex interactions between these elements, yet can be learned effectively despite the sparse annotations typical of video understanding scenarios. Finally, we will propose a unified model for video restoration and editing that builds on recent advances in sparse coding and dictionary learning, and will allow for unprecedented control of the video stream. This project addresses fundamental research issues, but its results are expected to serve as a basis for groundbreaking technological advances for applications as varied as film post-production, video archival, and smart camera phones.

Keywords: computer vision
Solid State Quantum Technology and Metrology Using Spins (SQUTEC)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-03-01
End date: 2016-02-29
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2308000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2308000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The development of quantum devices by nanoscopic control of constituents is expected to be one of the largest and most intriguing challenges of modern solid state physics. Among the degrees of freedom which allow exploiting most quantum phenomena are spins. Their long coherence and relaxation times make them of interest to any kind of quantum spin”tronics” from spin memories to quantum computing and ultrasensitive sensors. In well chosen and engineered environments spin state control and readout can be easy and robust even under ambient conditions. It is the aim of the present proposal to develop complex single spin systems from diamond defects and other dopant/host systems to a degree known hitherto only in atomic physics in terms of controllability and isolation from their environment. These systems should be used to investigate fundamental physical properties, e.g. the quantumness of solid state spins as well as their utilization in sensory devices. To this end spin defects should be implanted into ultrapure diamond materials with a spatial precision below 10nm. Their relaxation properties should be optimized to the ultimate (spin phonon interaction) limit and individual spin quantum states should be read out in a quantum non demolition-type measurement with highest possible fidelities. This on the one hand will allow the set up of versatile quantum arrays to e.g. study quantum many body physics. On the other hand such structures will yield sensors for magnetic and electric fields with unprecedented sensitivity and scale spatial resolution. Such devices might have revolutionary impact on imaging applications in various fields from materials’ investigation to bio sciences.

Keywords: quantum spin physics
Advanced multifunctional Reactors for green Mobility and Solar fuels (ARMOS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: Greece
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-02-01
End date: 2017-01-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1749999.6
EU funding (EUR): 1749999.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Green Mobility requires an integrated approach to the chain fuel/engine/emissions. The present project aims at ground breaking advances in the area of Green Mobility by (a) enabling the production of affordable, carbon-neutral, clean, solar fuels using exclusively renewable/recyclable raw materials, namely solar energy, water and captured Carbon Dioxide from combustion power plants (b) developing a highly compact, multifunctional reactor, able to eliminate gaseous and particulate emissions from the exhaust of engines operated on such clean fuels. The overall research approach will be based on material science, engineering and simulation technology developed by the PI over the past 20 years in the area of Diesel Emission Control Reactors, which will be further extended and cross-fertilized in the area of Solar Thermochemical Reactors, an emerging discipline of high importance for sustainable development, where the PI’s research group has already made significant contributions, and received the 2006 European Commission’s Descartes Prize for the development of the first ever solar reactor, holding the potential to produce on a large scale, pure renewable Hydrogen from the thermochemical splitting of water, also known as the HYDROSOL technology.

Keywords: solar fuels,hydrogen,co2 reuse,green mobility,emission control
Domain-optimised parallelisation by polymorphic language embeddings and rewritings (DOPPLER)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (ERC-2010-AdG_20100224, 2010)
Start date: 2011-04-01
End date: 2016-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2392400.0
EU funding (EUR): 2392400.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Concurrent and parallel programming are becoming indispensable for exploiting modern hardware. Because possible speed increases of single processors have reached their limit, increasing transistor count will yield more, but not necessarily faster cores, and this for the foreseeable future. This means that, from now on, parallelism in software will have to double every 18 months to keep up with hardware. This problem has been identified as the ``Popular Parallel Programming'' grand challenge by the computer architecture community. The proposed project will research new ways to solve this challenge. We start with a set of domain-specific languages which naturally admit a high degree of parallelism. The domain specific languages are integrated in a common host language using polymorphic language embeddings. Such embeddings provide a high degree of abstraction, which gives considerable freedom in their actual representation and implementation. The new direction taken by this proposal is to combine polymorphic embeddings with optimizing rewritings in a staged compilation process. This can lead to highly parallel and efficient implementations on a variety of heterogeneous hardware.

Keywords: programming languages and systems,domain-specific languages,compilers