ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Actanthrope intends to promote a neuro-robotics perspective to explore original models of anthropomorphic action. The project targets contributions to humanoid robot autonomy (for rescue and service robotics), to advanced human body simulation (for applications in ergonomics), and to a new theory of embodied intelligence (by promoting a motion-based semiotics of the human action). Actions take place in the physical space while they originate in the –robot or human– sensory-motor space. Geometry is the core abstraction that makes the link between these spaces. Considering that the structure of actions inherits from that of the body, the underlying intuition is that actions can be segmented within discrete sub-spaces lying in the entire continuous posture space. Such sub-spaces are viewed as symbols bridging deliberative reasoning and reactive control. Actanthrope argues that geometric approaches to motion segmentation and generation as promising and innovative routes to explore embodied intelligence: - Motion segmentation: what are the sub-manifolds that define the structure of a given action? - Motion generation: among all the solution paths within a given sub-manifold, what is the underlying law that makes the selection? In Robotics these questions are related to the competition between abstract symbol manipulation and physical signal processing. In Computational Neuroscience the questions refer to the quest of motion invariants. The ambition of the project is to promote a dual perspective: exploring the computational foundations of human action to make better robots, while simultaneously doing better robotics to better understand human action. A unique “Anthropomorphic Action Factory” supports the methodology. It aims at attracting to a single lab, researchers with complementary know-how and solid mathematical background. All of them will benefit from unique equipments, while being stimulated by four challenges dealing with locomotion and manipulation actions.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31

"The proposed research program has three main objectives. The first and second objectives are to seek extreme precisions in optical atomic spectroscopy and optical clocks, and to use this quest as a mean of exploration in atomic physics. The third objective is to explore new possibilities that stem from extreme precision. These goals will be pursued via three complementary activities: #1: Search for extreme precisions with an Hg optical lattice clock. #2: Explore and exploit the rich Hg system, which is essentially unexplored in the cold and ultra-cold regime. #3: Identify new applications of clocks with extreme precision to Earth science. Clocks can measure directly the gravitational potential via Einstein’s gravitational redshift, leading to the idea of “clock-based geodesy”. The 2 first activities are experimental and build on an existing setup, where we demonstrated the feasibility of an Hg optical lattice clock. Hg is chosen for its potential to surpass competing systems. We will investigate the unexplored physics of the Hg clock. This includes interactions between Hg atoms, lattice-induced light shifts, and sensitivity to external fields which are specific to the atomic species. Beyond, we will explore the fundamental limits of the optical lattice scheme. We will exploit other remarkable features of Hg associated to the high atomic number and the diversity of stable isotopes. These features enable tests of fundamental physical laws, ultra-precise measurements of isotope shifts, measurement of collisional properties toward evaporative cooling and quantum gases of Hg, investigation of forbidden transitions promising for measuring the nuclear anapole moment of Hg. The third activity is theoretical and is aimed at initiating collaborations with experts in modelling Earth gravity. With this expertise, we will identify the most promising and realistic approaches for clocks and emerging remote comparison methods to contribute to geodesy, hydrology, oceanography, etc."

1 946 432 €

Start date: 2014-04-01, End date: 2019-03-31

The aim of the BEEHIVE project is to generate novel insight into HIV biology, evolution and epidemiology, leveraging next-generation high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics to produce and analyse whole-genomes of viruses from approximately 3,000 European HIV-1 infected patients. These patients have known dates of infection spread over the last 25 years, good clinical follow up, and a wide range of clinical prognostic indicators and outcomes. The primary objective is to discover the viral genetic determinants of severity of infection and set-point viral load. This primary objective is high-risk & blue-skies: there is ample indirect evidence of polymorphisms that alter virulence, but they have never been identified, and it is not known how easy they are to discover. However, the project is also high-reward: it could lead to a substantial shift in the understanding of HIV disease. Technologically, the BEEHIVE project will deliver new approaches for undertaking whole genome association studies on RNA viruses, including delivering an innovative high-throughput bioinformatics pipeline for handling genetically diverse viral quasi-species data (with viral diversity both within and between infected patients). The project also includes secondary and tertiary objectives that address critical open questions in HIV epidemiology and evolution. The secondary objective is to use viral genetic sequences allied to mathematical epidemic models to better understand the resurgent European epidemic amongst high-risk groups, especially men who have sex with men. The aim will not just be to establish who is at risk of infection, which is known from conventional epidemiological approaches, but also to characterise the risk factors for onwards transmission of the virus. Tertiary objectives involve understanding the relationship between the genetic diversity within viral samples, indicative of on-going evolution or dual infections, to clinical outcomes.

2 499 739 €

Start date: 2014-04-01, End date: 2019-03-31

"In the comprehension of fundamental laws of nature, particle physics is now facing two important questions: 1) What is the nature of the neutrino, is it a standard (Dirac) particle or a Majorana particle? The nature of the neutrino plays a crucial role in the global framework of particle interactions and in cosmology. The only practicable way to answer this question is to search for a nuclear process called ""neutrinoless double beta decay"" (0nuDBD). 2) What is the so called ""dark matter"" made of? Astrophysical observations suggest that the largest part of the mass of the Universe is composed by a form of matter other than atoms and known matter constituents. We still do not know what dark matter is made of because its rate of interaction with ordinary matter is really low, thus making the direct experimental detection extremely difficult. Both 0nuDBD and dark matter interactions are rare processes and can be detected using the same experimental technique. Bolometers are promising devices and their combination with light detectors provides the identification of interacting particles, a powerful tool to reduce the background. 
 The goal of CALDER is to realize a new type of light detectors to improve the upcoming generation of bolometric experiments. The detectors will be designed to feature unprecedented energy resolution and reliability, to ensure an almost complete particle identification. In case of success, CUORE, a 0nuDBD experiment in construction, would gain in sensitivity by up to a factor 6. LUCIFER, a 0nuDBD experiment already implementing the light detection, could be sensitive also to dark matter interactions, thus increasing its research potential. The light detectors will be based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), a new technology that proved its potential in astrophysical applications but that is still new in the field of particle physics and rare event searches."

1 176 758 €

Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28