The micro/nano project team of Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has gained funding from the project European and Chinese Platform for Robotics and Applications (ECROBOT), under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Union. The team will be in charge of the research on basic theories and platform system of nanomanipulation robot and nanosensor.

The ECROBOT project focuses on staff exchange between the partners of European Union and China, and on the development of new technologies and applications in the field of robotics on the macro, micro and nano scales. It meets the objectives and requirements of the Marie Curie Actions: International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES), under the FP7, by setting up multiple bridges between European and Chinese Institutions.

The ultimate goal of the project is to establish a long-term research cooperation platform between Europe and China in the field of robotics with promising applications in scientific, industrial and domestic sections. The synergistic approach made by ECROBOT will keep the consortiums leading position in the world for potential major scientific and technological breakthroughs. The project is divided into five packages: setup of knowledge base and road mapping, fundamental exploration of robotics, development of robot system, dissemination and exploitation and project management. The project will be executed from January, 2013 to December, 2015.

Professor Carsten Maple from the University of Bedfordshire in UK initiated the EXROBOT project in 2012. Apart from SIA, University of Bedfordshire in UK, University of Essex in UK, University of Hamburg in Germany, Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 in France, Italian Institute of Technology in Italy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Tianjin University, Changchun University of Science and Technology and Kunshan Industrial Technology Research Institute in China also participated in the project.

(Source: Robotics Laboratory)