Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)

The main goal of this opportunity is to advance soft robotics by using innovative materials, design methods, and control techniques to create safe and adaptable robotic systems. The focus is on improving safety and physical interaction, solving the limits of traditional rigid robots, and enabling new uses in healthcare, maintenance, manufacturing, and transportation. Special attention is given to smart materials, flexible designs, bioinspired solutions, and the integration of soft electronics. Projects should also address challenges in learning, modeling, simulation, control, actuation, and sensing. The opportunity is open to participants from EU countries and certain non-EU countries with specific funding provisions.

• Projects must focus on advancing soft robotics using novel materials, designs, or control techniques.
• Proposals should clearly align with the call's scope and expected outcomes.
• Each project must include at least three demonstrators from different sectors to showcase the benefits of soft robotics.
• Projects must address challenges such as safety, physical interaction, modeling, simulation, control, actuation, sensing, or integration of soft electronics.
• Proposals must follow the required format and page limits.

Example projects:

• A project developing soft robotic arms for safer patient handling in hospitals, flexible grippers for manufacturing, and adaptive inspection tools in transportation.
• A team creating bioinspired soft robots for elderly care, automated maintenance of industrial equipment, and smart packaging systems.
• An initiative building soft robotic exoskeletons for rehabilitation, deformable robots for pipeline inspection, and flexible automation in food processing.

• Personnel costs
• Subcontracting
• Travel and subsistence
• Equipment (depreciation or rental)
• Consumables and materials
• Dissemination and communication
• Access to research infrastructure
• IPR and certification
• Audit costs
• Indirect costs (25% flat rate)
• Internally invoiced services

• Budget for this Call: 20.000.000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 2
• Budget per project: 10.000.000€

• Consortium must include at least three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries, with at least one partner established in an EU Member State.

• All participants must be established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries.

• Each participant must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity according to Horizon Europe General Annexes B and C.

• The project must comply with all applicable Horizon Europe ethical, legal, and data protection requirements.