Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems

About Domain

At the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, we develop innovative solutions to leverage robotics in the industrial, agricultural, and forestry contexts, driving the digital transformation of the industry. We take a practical approach - from design to deployment - to test the navigation and localisation of mobile robots, explore advances in 2D/3D industrial vision and advanced detection, while also focusing on industrial and collaborative robotics, as well as human-robot interfaces. Our TRIBE LAB is fertile ground for innovative ideas about the agriculture of the future; we develop prototypes and promote excellence in agricultural robotics and IoT technology: with prototypes, advanced sensors (LiDAR, AI cameras), and rapid prototyping tools, we accelerate the development of solutions for the agroforestry sector. We are also present at the iiLab, where we combine applied research, technological demonstration, and controlled environment testing, promoting the integration of emerging technologies into industry. From intelligent robotic cells and cyber-physical systems to data analysis and AI, it is an innovation space where companies can experiment with and validate solutions for the factory of the future. With a multidisciplinary team, and following European agendas, our research work combines fundamental science and application, impacting the design of solutions for Industry 4.0, fostering competitiveness and the digital transformation of the sector.

Flagship Projects

SCORPION

Spraying in agriculture represents a societal challenge due to its negative impact in human and animal health and in environment. SCORPION’s objective is to develop a safe and autonomous precision spraying tool integrated into a modular unmanned tractor (robotics platform) to increase spraying efficiency, while reducing human and animal exposure to pesticides, water usage and labour costs. The project will focus on steep slope vineyards but with impact in other high-value permanent crops (olive groves and fruticulture). SCORPION’ will consider Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS) receiver (triple frequency, PPP, OS-NMA, HAS) fused with other sensors, to increase the solution reliability, accuracy and safeness, and to enable autonomous ultraviolet light treatments (to eliminate partial need of phytopharmaceuticals) and to allow high precision spraying in permanent crops.

Cost effective robots for smart precision spraying

iBot4CRMs

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Selected Publications

Vineyard trunk detection using deep learning - An experimental device benchmark

Pinto de Aguiar, ASP;Neves dos Santos, FBN;Feliz dos Santos, LCF;de Jesus Filipe, VMD;Miranda de Sousa, AJM;

2020

COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE

A systematic literature review on long-term localization and mapping for mobile robots

Sousa, RB;Sobreira, HM;Moreira, AP;

2023

JOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS

Deep learning-based human action recognition to leverage context awareness in collaborative assembly

Moutinho, D;Rocha, LF;Costa, CM;Teixeira, LF;Veiga, G;

2023

ROBOTICS AND COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING

Assessment of Multiple Fiducial Marker Trackers on Hololens 2

Costa, GM;Petry, MR;Martins, JG;Moreira, APGM;

2024

IEEE ACCESS

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Team Members

Team Leaders

Manuel Santos Silva

M. F. Silva was born in April 11, 1970. He graduated, received the MSc. and the PhD. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Portugal, in 1993, 1997 and 2005, respectively. Presently he is Coordinator Professor at the Institute of Engineering of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Senior Researcher at the Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems of INESC TEC. He is the author or more than 150 publications in international journals and conferences and has been involved in several R&D projects. He has also been actively involved in the organization of several international conferences, belongs to the CLAWAR Association Management Team and was President of the Portuguese Robotics Society. His research focuses on modelling, simulation, industrial robotics, mobile robotics, biological inspired robotics, and education in engineering.

Luís Freitas Rocha

Luis Rocha received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering University of Porto in 2014. He has been a researcher at INESC TEC since 2010, and he currently oversees the industrial manipulator research area at the Center for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS). Member of the iilab executive committee (Industry and Innovation Lab of INESC TEC), in charge of the lab's infrastructure. Supervisor of several Master's and PhD theses. He has over 50 publications in international scientific journals and conference proceedings, and he is now an Associate Editor for the Industrial Robot Journal. His primary research interests include developing agile and human-centered industrial robotic systems, as well as investigating novel human-robot interaction solutions, robot programming procedures, and advanced perception and manipulation systems. He led the INESC team on a number of national and European R&D projects. Luís has 5 years of experience as an entrepreneur (robotics startup).