Robotic system enables symbiotic links between human diver and computer

A consortium of seven European partners develops a highly cognitive underwater robotic system to enable symbiotic links between a human diver and a set of companion autonomous robots to interpret and adapt the diver's behavior and physical state. Divers often work in harsh and weakly monitored environments. Behavior scientist Karl Grammer from the Department of Anthropology of the University of Vienna leads the Austrian cooperation of the project CADDY (Cognitive Autonomous Diving Buddy) which received European commission's funding in amount of 3.7 million EUR. Project CADDY started on 1st of January 2014 and will last for three years. Partners involved are University of Zagreb - Faculty of Electrical Engineering from Croatia as the project , Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche from Italy, Instituto Superior Technico from Portugal, Jacobs University from Germany, University of Vienna from Austria, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne from UK and Divers Alert Network Europe Foundation - DAN Europe based in Malta. Divers (SCUBA, scientific, and technical) operate in harsh and weakly monitored environments in which the slightest unexpected disturbances, technical malfunctions, or lack of attention of a diver can result in catastrophic consequences. These issues are usually dealt by pairing up divers and adopting well defined rules for diving operations to reduce the chance of accidents.