| Europe is already today the leader in industrial robotics. At the same time Europe is experiencing a significant aging of society. This change in demographics will have consequences on industry, style of living, entertainment, etc. A key contributor to the development of aids for everyday life (at the workplace and in the homes) will be robotics technology. The topic is, however, far wider than traditional industrial robotics, it involved direct brain interfaces, service robotics, etc. In addition the area is not only in need of new research and development, but also human resources to participate and drive the innovation process. To ensure that the economic growth in robotics remains in Europe there is a need to unite the RandD, teaching and dissemination activities across the entire union and associated states. The present proposal outlines a work-programme to ensure that the "wider" area of robotics is addressed in an adequate manner to allow for continued growth. The work-plan involves activities on research coordination (across the pro-active initiative), training and education, dissemination efforts, collaboration with end-user industries, and research projects on emerging problems. |