Location:

University Carlos III De Madrid c/Butarque, 15, 28911 Leganés, Madrid, Spain

tel: +34 1 6249426
fax: +34 1 6249430
web: http://roboticslab.uc3m.es/roboticslab/index.php

Description of participant

The research team of the UC3M (http://roboticslab.uc3m.es) is currently formed by 37 researchers, 17 of them Ph.D. The team is focusing in R&D activities in robotics and related technologies like sensory feedback, computer vision, force/torque interaction. The team is an expert in the mechanical design, development, control (hardware and software) and intelligence implementation of robotic systems. Numerous robots of different type were developed: mobile robot, mobile manipulators, climbing and walking, bipedal & humanoid. It has more than 20 years of wide experience in the different fields of service robots:

• personal companion (PRA project)
• elderly persons assistance (MATS project)
• edutainment (Manfred project)
• space robotics (Resinar project)
• robotics in construction (FutureHome & ManuBuild projecs)
• climbing robots (ROMA 1 & 2 projects)
• humanoids & bipedal robots. (LEROI, Rh-0 & Rh-0 projects)

The team participated in several EU projects, since mid 80s. They are, among others, Esprit 623, Panorama and Rocco projects, Brite-Euram Psycho and FutureHome projects, 5FP IST MATS project and currently 6FP IP ManuBuild project.

Key researchers

Carlos BALAGUER (*1954) is professor in systems engineering and automation of the University Carlos III of Madrid. Carlos Balaguer received his Ph.D. in Automation from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), Spain in 1983. From 1983-1994 he was with the Department of Systems Engineering and Automation of the UPM as Associated Professor. Since 1996, he has been a Full Professor of the Robotics Lab at the University Carlos III of Madrid. Prof. Balaguer’s research has included robot design and development, robot control, path & task planning, force-torque control, assistive and service robots, climbing robots, legged and humanoid robots, and human-robot interaction. He participates in numerous EU projects since 1989, like Eureka projects SAMCA (automation of footwear industry), AMR (advanced mobile robot) and GEO (aircrafts’ inspection robot), Esprit projects ROCCO (very big size assembly robot) and CEROS (robot control), Brite project FutureHome (automation in construction industry), IST project MATS (personal assistive robot), and recently starts the 6FP IP project ManuBuild (open manufacturing buiding). He also participated since 80s in numerous national funding projects in the field of robotics: cooperative robots (COCO), climbing robots (ROMA 1 & 2) and humanoid robots (Rh-0 & Rh-1). He has published more than 120 papers in journals and conference proceedings, and several books in the field of robotics. He is a member of IEEE and IFAC, and former President of IAARC (2001-2004). He is also an Associate Editor of IEEE Robotics & Automation magazine (2000-2006). Prof. Balaguer is the coordinator of Spanish Robotic Network. He receives several awards, among them the IMSERSO “Infanta Cristina” 2004 one.

Antonio GIMENEZ (*1968) He studied Electrical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and received his PhD from the University Carlos III of Madrid in 2000. Currently he is Associated Professor at the Robotics Lab at the University Carlos III of Madrid. He participated in numerous national and international R&D projects in robotics and automation. His research interest includes design and robot development, rehabilitation robots, climbing robots, and automation in construction. Recently he is very active in the field of computer-aided mechatronic design. He has published numerous refereed publications in international journals, and conference proceedings.

Mario ARBULU (*1973) He is electromechanical engineer by the University of Piura, Peru. Currently he is PhD. student in Electrical, Electronics and Automation Engineering program of the University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain.His research area is humanoid robots gait generation and control, path generation, obstacle avoidance and HMI.

Paolo PIERRO (*1981) He is Electronics Engineers by University of Salerno (Italy). Currently he is Ph.D. student in Electrical, Electronics and Automation program of the University Carlos III of Madrid. His research interests are human-robot interaction, path planning, kinematics control, social impact of the robot.

Role of partner

The main role of the UC3M will be the development of new collaborative working environment applications related with the end-users (in construction industry), using their own robotic systems such as the full-size humanoid Rh-1robot platform. Introducing new collaborative working procedures for hard manual tasks in construction industry will.