About iCeiRA

Motivation

    Looking at the global downturn, the world began to turn attention to manufacturing industries, and actively strive for robotics and automation devote to advanced manufacturing. In the past history of the development of the manufacturing sector, Taiwan has been very successful in accumulation of capital and strong supply chain, including semiconductors and panel displays, and it has become Taiwan's trillion dollar industry. It is expected that manufacturing related industry would become the next trillion dollar industry. Intelligent robotics and automation, in addition to improving the quality of living, is an important foundation for industrial development. The establishment of this meaningful center will help to explore new frontier research and develop new technologies which can benefit many enterprises to engage in the field of robotics and automation. For Taiwan, this is an important opportunity for the next generation.

Introduction
    『NTU International Center of Excellence on Intelligent Robotics and Automation Research (NTU-iCeiRA)』, is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST I-RiCE Program). National Taiwan University cooperates with three world-class institutes and universities: CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research), INRIA (The French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control), and UPMC (Universite Paris VI or Universite Pierre et Marie Curie).
    The cooperation program CNRS is the main representative of the French side when the research center at National Taiwan University to establish cross-border top-three units related by the French side executives provided by the Minisrty of Science and Technology(MOST) signed the pledge, commitment of funds to a total of five-year to support in concept and execution of this plan. Minisrty of Science and Technology (MOST) and NTU provided funding for a total five-year implementation of this international collaborative research program.
    With the leading institutions of France, LAAS-CNRS, INRIA, UPMC, which set up cross-cutting-edge research, Taiwan will be able to draw on their high academic standards and will work closely with the industrial needs. Accelerating and enhancing our wisdom to take in the academic field of robotics and automation towards international status, while hoping to open our country in leading robotics and automation research. In addition, students will have the opportunity to access LAAS-CNRS, INRIA and UPMC laboratories and research centers with academic exchanges, research and practice of cultivating outstanding talents. The iCeiRA center also collaboratively works with universities and government institutes, such as Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Precision Machinery Research and Development Center (PMC) and the Metal Industries Development Centre (MIRDC), along with more than 30 intelligent robotics and automation related industrial companies to upgrade and enhance international competitiveness.


Vision
    The vision of the center: the development of advanced technology of intelligent robots and automation towards academic excellence in research and enhance the industrial innovation and global competitiveness. The center will serve as open platform for promoting industrial innovation through six functions:

    • Core leading technology
    • Service innovation
    • Industry-university cooperation
    • Technology transfer
    • System integration
    • Creativity contest by fostering academic and industrial key resources for human resource training.

Major Research Issues
    Cognitive Robotics and Intelligent Automation integrates many different component disciplines and technologies, such as computing technology, computer vision, sensors, actuators, control, and artificial intelligence. Advances in these component technologies have often driven robotics forward, and in return robotics has often provided the applications to motivate advances in the component technologies. In this joint international research intensive center of excellence (i-RiCE) we plan to focus on research in Core Technologies of Cognitive Robotics and Intelligent Automation with special emphasize on the following areas and technological needs:

    • Intelligent Robot Integrated Manufacturing Automation
    • Medical and Healthcare Robotics
    • Service Robotics

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