Heterogeneous 3D Perception across Visual Fragments (EYESHOTS)

Funding Agency: CEC

Funding period: 2008-2011

Contact Person

Silvio P. Sabatini
Department of Biophysical and Electronic Engineering
University of Genoa
Via Opera Pia, 11a
I-16145 Genova, ITALY
tel:  (+39) 10 353 2092
fax:  (+39) 10 353 2777
e-mail: silvio.sabatini AT unige.it

Participants

Coordinator:
	     DIBE-University of Genoa			(IT)
Partners:   
             Westfaeliche Wilhems-University Muenster	(DE)
             University of Bologna			(IT)
             University Jaume I, Castellon		(ES)
             Katholieke Universiteit Leuven		(BE)

Abstract

The goal of EYESHOTS is to investigate the interplay existing between vision and motion control, and to study how to exploit this interaction to achieve a knowledge of the surrounding environment that allows a robot to act properly. Robot perception can be flexibly integrated with its own actions and the understanding of planned actions of humans in a shared workspace. The research relies upon the assumption that a complete and operative cognition of visual space can be achieved only through active exploration of it: the natural effectors of this cognition are the eyes and the arms. Crucial but yet unsolved addressed issues are object recognition, dynamic shifts of attention, 3D space perception including eye and arm movements, and action selection in unstructured environments. The project proposes a flexible solution based on the concept of visual fragments, which avoids a central representation of the environment and rather uses specialized components that interact with each other and tune themselves on the task at hand. In addition to a high standard in engineering solutions the development and application of novel learning rules enable the system to acquire the necessary information directly from the environment.

Expected final results

By the end of the three years the following results will be achieved:

Implementing strong "dynamic" and "pro-active" components in which the effect of eye movements and of arm reaching actions will express as joint visuo-motor features, patterns and relationships for a perceptual awareness of space;
Building a contingent knowledge of the sensorimotor laws that govern the relation between possible actions and the resulting changes in incoming visual information.
Binding of objects into a global workspace for cognitive task control.