The EUROBENCH Consortium includes ten parters with the key experience necessary for the successful achievement of the project’s objectives.   In particular, the Consortium has been working for the last years on the definition of a comparative evaluation shceme for biped robotic systems, in response to the direct needs identifies by the Strategic Research Agenda (Background) , a job that received special attention from EU representatives. [1] ] and was recognized by the MAR [2] as one of the most promising standardization and benchmarking efforts in Europe.    

The EUROBENCH parters are: 

  • The CSIC (National Research Council of Spain) is a world reference in the development and exploitation of portable robotic technology, and the main promoter of benchmarking intiative in recent years. They will be coordinating all activities from project 1 (WP1). Also, will lead the reference framework for portable robots (WP4), and will host, manage and maintain related facilities. CSIC was the coordinator of the H2R y Biomot projects.

  • IIT (Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) is an international leader in reseach and development of humanoid robotics. It will coordinate (along with CSIC) the configuration of the two test facilities, house and maintain the Humanoid Facility (WP5), and will be a key partner in benchmarking activities for humanoids (WP3). IIT was the coordinator of the Walk-man FP7 project.

  • The University of Heidelberg has been the coordinator of the Koroibot project, focused on evaluating human-like abilities in humanoid robots, and has been a promoter of the benchmarking locomotion group. They will lead the development of the reference framework for humanoid robots (WP3). 

 

  • Roessingh Research and Development is the largest scientific research center in the Netherlands that focuses on rehabilitation technology. It will collect and provide data of both impaired and non-impaired walking that will serve as human-like reference datasets (WP3, WP4).

  • TECNALIA is a leading entity in transferring research into products. It is the coordinator of the BALANCE Project and COST action on wearable robotics. It will lead the Benchmarking Software development (WP6) and adapt the algorithms for their integration in the software.

  • OSSUR is a leading company in prosthetics development and commercialization, with pluri-annual experience in exploiting research results from EU projects. It will lead the dissemination and exploitation activities (WP8), participate in prosthetic testing (WP3), and make available different prostheses prototypes for the Wearable Robotic Facility (WP5).

  • IUVO is a spin-off company producing exoskeletal robots. It will lead the definition of the market-driven requirements of the framework (WP2) and will participate in the definition and development of benchmarking methods for wearable robots (WP4).

  • PAL-Robotics is a leading company producing humanoid robots in Europe and is currently involved in various EU Projects. It will provide the project facility with a humanoid robot Reem-C and participate in the design and testing of the humanoid framework (WP3).

  • ALTRAN is a multinational company, leader in innovation and high-tech consulting in several areas. It will develop the technical core of the Benchmarking Software application (WP6) and ensure scalability for its transferability to other robotic domains.

  • HOSPITAL DE LOS MADROÑOS HLM is a private entity whose strategic plan aims to integrate the most innovative rehabilitation robotics technologies in the clinical practice. HLM will take an active role in establishing business models for the exploitation of all the technologies provided by the EUROBENCH activities, and integrate them with those independently acquired by the Hospital.

  • PKF ATTEST INNCOME is a consulting SME specialized in the management of competitive research and innovation projects. It will take care of the financial and management aspects of the Project and lead the creation and management of the cascade funding actions (WP7, see below).

Third Parties. a To complement the Consortium’s skills and resources, EUROBENCH will have the collaboration of third parties (Ex. research groups or companies) through a cascade financing modality called “Financial support for third parties FSTP”.   Under this scheme with a budget of 5 million euros, external companies and research entities will participate in two main actions, financed through competitive open calls.

[1] Anne Bajart. ” European comision supports benchmarking” 

[2] Robotics 2020 Multi-Annual Roadmap (MAR) in Europe Horizon 2020 pg. 166