EPFL hosts robots from all over Switzerland

Smart robots designed to improve our quality of life. That was the theme of yesterday’s inaugural conference and demonstration put together by the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research Robotics (NCCR) at EPFL. Researchers and industry players witnessed firsthand the latest advances in robotics technology in Switzerland, with applications in such diverse areas as medical rehabilitation, agriculture, education and drone aerial photography.

Among the most promising developments are wearable robots – intelligent prosthetics and exoskeletons – which are designed to help in the rehabilitation of medical patients and improve their quality of life. In another field, EPFL and its sister school ETH Zurich unveiled several robots designed to assist rescuers in natural disasters. Modeled after animals, they climb rocks, swim in the water or fly over areas of destruction. They can also be used for exploration and for transporting objects.

Eye in the sky
Both start-ups and leaders in the robotics sector were on hand to demonstrate their latest drones. They range from Flyability’s Gimball, the quadcopter in a cage that can be used to inspect manufacturing facilities, for example, to the senseFly drone that maps out mountains. Not to mention the unusual kite drone, which is permitted to fly over crowds and doesn't need batteries, and the folding drone that was invented at EPFL.

Visitors were also able to test teaching robots, like the CoWriter, which open up new horizons in schools. In a related field, several prototypes provided a look at games of the future, with a treasure hunt that combines virtual reality and smart pawns. Robots are indeed poised to play a role in all aspects of our lives.
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The National Centre of Competence in Research Robotics (NCCR) was founded in 2010 by EPFL, ETHZ, the University of Zurich and the Swiss AI Lab IDSIA (Lugano). It receives funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation.