BrainMap

Irina Mocanu

PhD

Professor - UNIVERSITATEA NAȚIONALĂ DE ȘTIINȚĂ ȘI TEHNOLOGIE POLITEHNICA BUCUREȘTI

Other affiliations

Researcher - CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (Romania)

Teaching staff

Expertise & keywords

Reshaping data-driven smart healthcare to optimize resources and personalize care for hypertensive patients through AI and digital twin models Call name: PNCDI IV, P 5.8 - SP 5.8.1 - COFUND-2023
COFUND-PARTENERIAT-THCS-RENEW 2024 - 2027

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); Warsaw University of Technology (PL); ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI RIPOSO E CURA PER ANZIANI (IT); Jagiellonian University Medical College, University Hospital (PL); Mälardalen University (SE); ECLEXYS SAGL (CH); Ecole Polytechnique de Nantes Université (FR); Informacijski raziskovalni inštitut za izobraževanje in svetovanje - Zavod IZRIIS (SI)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://www.citst.ro/projects/renew

Abstract:

Our project is targeting personalized data-driven smart healthcare to benefit hypertensive older adults, their caregivers, and their medical practitioners. Specifically, we will develop a digital platform, using user-centered design, starting from existing solutions of the consortium partners, and leveraging the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. The platform will offer personalised support to hypertensive patients in managing their health in terms of prevention,

prognosis, and economic aspects. It will also support healthcare providers in delivering high-quality and efficient care by facilitating close engagement with patients through remote monitoring services that improve the continuity of care. We will use reliable data processing and novel machine learning algorithms to learn and build personalised profiles and the digital twin of hypertensive older adults.

Recycling of the cathodes, based on carbon nanotubes and conducting polymers, from spent rechargeable Li batteries Call name: PNCDI IV, P 5.8 - SP 5.8.1 - COFUND-2023
COFUND-LEAP-RE-RCLIB-1 2024 - 2026

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR BUCURESTI RA

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR BUCURESTI RA (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (IT); Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (MA); Badji Mokhtar University (DZ); University Cadi Ayyad (MA)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://infim.ro/en/project/recycling-of-the-cathodes-based-on-carbon-nanotubes-and-conducting-polymers-from-spent-rechargeable-li-batteries/

Abstract:

Development in the field of rechargeable Li batteries (RLIBs) and supercapacitors (SCs) has seen rapid growth as a consequence of the demand for electric vehicles and of various devices such as wind turbines, hybrid energy storage systems for the installation of photovoltaic devices, etc. However, end-of-life (EoL) battery components induce a new environmental challenge, requiring their collection, disposal and recycling/reuse to avoid further environmental pollution. The innovation in this project envisages the life cycle analysis of novel emerging cathodes containing carbon nanotubes (CNs) & conducting polymers (CPs) from RLIB and the development of new ways for the recycling of the constituents of the cathodes at EoL. The main objectives of this project are: a) the collecting of spent RLIB, having the CP/CNs composites as electrode materials; b) the recovery of the cathode and the separation of spent electrode constituents, i.e. the CPs/CNs composite (CPs is CP in semi-doped state), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), CN-Li+, CP in undoped state (CPu), LiCl, LiFP6 and super P carbon (C); c) the development of various strategies for improvement of physico-chemical properties of the CP/CNs/PVDF, CP/CNs and CP/oxidized CN (OCN) composites, e.g. by the protonic acid doping of CP, the chemical polymerization of monomers in the presence of CN, OCN, and the fibers resulted by the electrospinning; the first two methods will allow to transform CPs or CPu into CP in doped state (CPd); d) synthesis of the CP/Biochar/CNs composites and their characterization; and e) the applications of the prepared composites as electrodes for SC cells & RLIB using both classical methods and electrospinning and comparison of the obtained performance. The methodology and working plan involve the following stages: a) charge/discharge galvanostatic tests of RLIBs to ensure that the cathode based on the CP/CNs composite is at EoL and subsequent its collection; b) separation of the spent electrode constituents, i.e. CPs, PVDF, CNs and super P C, by chemical methods and their optical and structural characterization; c) preparation of new electrodes from CP, PVDF, CNs & super P C, and their testing in the SC cells & RLIB; and d) optimization of SCs & RLIBs, using prepared composites from the cathodes of spent RLIBs. To implement this methodology, we will employ: a) charge/discharge galvanostatic measurements, b) cyclic voltammetry; c) electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; d) Raman scattering, e) IR spectroscopy, f) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, g) X-ray diffraction, h) scanning electron microscopy, j) transmission electron microscopy, k) contact angles, l) thermogravimetry, etc. The stakeholder involvement will be: a) NIMP – the preparation of new composites, resulting from the chemical polymerization of monomers in the presence of CN & OCN, their characterization and the electrospun fibers as well as testing in SC cells & RLIB; b) CITST - electrospun fibers from CP/CN/PVDF blends and exploitation aspects; c) UM6P, UCA & UBMA - testing of the electrodes containing CPd resulted by the protonic acid doping and their hybrids, in RLIB & SC cells; and d) INFN - testing of composites, resulted by chemical polymerization of monomers in the presence of CN and OCN as well as the fibers. The expected impact consists of: a) development of a new technology for the separation of the spent cathodes constituents at EoL; b) access to recyclable technology with impact on environment, for the beneficiaries from AU and EU ; c) development of new SC cells & RLIB, using recycled compounds from spent RLIB; c) formation of new experts in the field of energy storage and wastes management to aid the transition from linear to circular economy; d) the knowledge/technological transfer, which will strengthen the cooperation between the participating institutions, having a direct benefit on the energy security of each country, enabling waste management in the field of energy storage.

Integrated Care Platform Based on the Monitoring of Older Individual Intrinsic Capacity for Inclusive Health Call name: P 3 - SP 3.5 - Programul "Active and Assisted Living" AAL, 2018
AAL-CP-2021-8-95-CAREUP-1 2022 - 2024

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); ECLEXYS SAGL (CH); EURAG Österreich (DE); National Institute of Health and Science on Aging –IRCCS (IT); Warsaw University of Technology (PL); Octilium Sagl (CH); Saphyrion Sagl (CH); Orthokey Italia S.r.l. (IT)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/careup/

Abstract:

Sistemul CAREUP necesită conceperea de elemente de gamificatie care să ajute atât la diagnosticarea cât și la îmbunătățirea sănătății fizice și mentale a utilizatorilor primari. Vom dezvolta și implementa o strategie inovatoare de gamificatie bazată pe o temă comună pentru jocuri, pentru a asigura omogenitate și utilizabilitate, precum și o platformă atractivă și motivantă. Subiectele selectate (abilități sociale, abilități cognitive și mindfulness) vor sta la baza unor seturi de mini-jocuri cu diverse obiective. Scopurile vor fi două: ajutor la diagnosticare și atenuarea declinului cognitiv. Partea de diagnosticare va implica în principal teste gamificate (o inovație de bază a proiectului), în timp ce partea de atenuare se va concentra pe aderența pe termen lung, principala provocare cu care se luptă în prezent multe platforme pentru seniori și asupra căreia apelurile AAL au insistat in mod particular. Pentru a face față acestei provocări, se va acorda o mare relevanță co-creației pentru a avea jocuri cu care utilizatorii să se simtă implicați. Jocurile vor extrage date: scoruri, timpi de reacție, timp de utilizare, participarea altor persoane, parametri cognitivi, sociali.

Enabling clean and sustainable water through smart UV/LED disinfection and SOLar energy utilization Call name: P 3 - SP 3.2 - Proiecte ERA.NET - COFUND
COFUND-LEAP-RE-LEDSOL 2022 - 2024

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); Unité de Développement des Equipements Solaires, UDES/EPST- Centre de Développement des Énergies Renouvelables (DZ); Tampere University (FI); Laboratory of Apply Hydrology and Environment (LAHE), University of Lomé -LOME (TG); Institut für Sozialforschung und Sozialwirtschaft (DE)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/ledsol/

Abstract:

Photovoltaics is the most promising renewable energy technology in terms of availability, cost reduction and efficiency gains. At the same time, providing reliable and safe drinking water will help unlock economic potential by allowing time for education, work and imagination. The LEDSOL project is fostering renewable energy to provide clean and safe drinking water based on UV/LED disinfection augmented with classical decontamination and powered by lightweight flexible solar cells. The LEDSOL system is designed to be packed in a self-powered wearable backpack with a positioning engine, which offers an easy to use and affordable technology to local population who is off the grid. We will start at TRL3 and will reach TRL6 by organizing pilots in Algeria (Tipaza and Blida regions), Togo (Lomé and surrounding farms) and Romania (Baragan region) to demonstrate the LEDSOL technology in relevant environments. In addition, wastewater from samples collected in Algeria will be also tested in order to estimate the performance of LEDSOL in extreme conditions, where the user doesn’t have access to surface or ground water resources. Water sampling and analysis will be conducted according to international standards methods. Users’ needs and satisfaction will be collected at several steps throughout the project.

Our main contributions in going beyond the state-of-the-art are in the field of UV/LED water disinfection, flexible solar cells, and low-cost robust positioning algorithms. Solar energy conversion efficiencies above 17% through solar panels optimization along with 99.999% pathogen inactivation and at least 85% user satisfaction are some of the quantifiable targets of the LEDSOL project. A multidisciplinary consortium comprising partners from Algeria, Togo, Romania, Germany and Finland is gathering the needed expertise for the project implementation and the objectives set up in the proposal while fostering close and long-term collaboration between Europe and Africa. The proposed technology will give access to affordable energy for clean water production to a wide number of beneficiaries and will maximize the socio‐economic impact through its deployment to remote areas. Other benefits include fostering education among involved researchers and their university students, increased number of working place and gender equality. The LEDSOL sustainable commercialization strategy developed as part of the project will take into consideration the creation of jobs for RE‐SAS commercialization, maintenance, and training. It will promote income generated both in Europe and in Africa.

Active and healthy living through serious games and artificial intelligence Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect de transfer la operatorul economic
PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2021-0255 2022 - 2024

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA NAŢIONALĂ DE ŞTIINŢĂ ŞI TEHNOLOGIE POLITEHNICA BUCUREŞTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" DIN SUCEAVA (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/meritt/

Abstract:

The MERITT project proposes a feasible solution to positively and significantly impact the autonomy, participation in social life and digital skills of the aging population.

The technological highlight of MERITT is the integration of artificial intelligence, gamificiation and multiplayer games, as well as various other health and social applications to improve the health and lifestyle of the older adults. The AI-powered virtual coach will gradually builds up challenges for the players to motivate them in improving their health and well-being, and integrate applications for health monitoring (sleep, oral health, weight, blood pressure), reminders, and social connectivity, to maintain a healthy daily routine.

Population ageing is currently a major subject on the international agenda, and it is especially considered by the EU, because of the increase in the proportion of ageing adults, against the backdrop of continuously improving healthcare and economic conditions. At the same time, the market for assistive and health technologies is increasing exponentially, driven by the ageing population needs and unprecedented developments in AI and digital technologies.

The development of MERITT puts together validated expertise from CITST, USV and UPB and takes advantage of their extensive previous expertise in many AAL projects. Importantly, the whole development is driven by a user-centered design perspective, which involves the users in all solution testing and validating phases of MERITT.

CITST will lead the commercialization of MERITT. Preliminary discussion about selling the rights of the cognitive game and multiplayer game have already started with the partners, and the marketing and commercialization of MERITT will follow a dedicated B2B model, using the existing professional networks and close cooperation with companies in Switzerland, Poland, France, Slovenia, Spain, etc., as well as with institutions for elderly care.

Bridging the Early Diagnosis and Treatment Gap of Brain Diseases via Smart, Connected, Proactive and Evidence-based Technological Interventions Call name: P 3 - SP 3.6 - Premierea participării în Orizont 2020
PN-III-P3-3.6-H2020-2020-0186 2021 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA NAŢIONALĂ DE ŞTIINŢĂ ŞI TEHNOLOGIE POLITEHNICA BUCUREŞTI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://aimas.cs.pub.ro/alameda/

Abstract:

Our vision in ALAMEDA is to research and prototype the next generation of personalized AI healthcare support systems, aiming at addressing the needs of people with brain diseases and disorders, specifically focusing on the needs of patients’ rehabilitation treatments. ALAMEDA innovations are anchored at the integration of lifestyle retrospective data as well as new streams of patient monitoring data, via new methods during every-day activities, including sleep behaviour, deploying advanced data analytics and AI recommendation services. We focus on three particular diseases stroke, Parkinson and multiple sclerosis.

Personalized ICT solution to reduce re‐hospitalization rates in heart failure elderly patients suffering from comorbidies Call name: P 3 - SP 3.2 - Proiecte ERA.NET
ERANET-PERMED-PerHeart 2020 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/perheart

Abstract:

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing medical and economic problem as 1–2% of the health care budget is spent worldwide on this medical condition. HF affects especially elderly, with 80% of HF related hospitalizations occurring among patients above 65 years. In addition, 70% of the elderly patients are readmitted to hospital within one year, making re-hospitalization an ongoing medical challenge.

In this context, the PerHeart project is employing Information and Communication Technology with the main goal of reducing re-hospitalization rates in HF patients by:

(1) supporting HF patients in self-managing their disease and adhere to therapy and lifestyle changes (participatory and preventive);

(2) providing real-time personalized feedback for HF patients and their caregivers (personalized);

(3) elucidating specific risk factors for readmission and helping health care professionals by revealing new physiological targets or characteristic patient profiles for focused intervention, either medical or social (predictive);

(4) providing data that can help interpretation and prediction of complex multifactorial diseases (predictive) by taking specific medical, gender, age, social and economic aspects into account (personalized).

The PerHeart ICT platform will integrate in a modular design functionalities dedicated to HF patients and their professional caregivers. The underlying artificial intelligence software will adapt to the patient’s needs while collected data in three countries (Poland, Denmark, Italy) will help elucidate specific risk factors for readmission while taking gender and socio-economic aspects into account and help interpretation and prediction of complex multifactorial disease while also providing input for focused intervention.

Transnational collaboration between multidisciplinary teams from the PerHeart countries, combined with previous experience in developing ambient assistive living solutions, will ensure a successful implementation of the project.

Patient centric solution for smart and sustainable healthcare Call name: P 3 - SP 3.5 - Programul "Active and Assisted Living" AAL, 2018
AAL-CP-AAL-2019-6-137-CP-ACESO 2020 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); LS DINȚIIMEI SRL (RO); SAPHYRION SAGL (CH); Random Forest sp. z o.o (PL); ECLEXYS SAGL (CH); MKS Electronic Systems Ltd (SI); Jagiellonian University Medical College (PL); Inspiring Culture Ltd (HU)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/aceso

Abstract:

Leading dental care manufacturers are envisioning a world where daily oral health routine allows consumers to take care of health comprehensively. ACESO is paving part of the way by involving older adults and elderly along with their physicians in a co-creative approach to realize an integrated health and oral-care platform in which intelligent devices use data analytics for adaptable health and wellbeing. The uniqueness of the platform originates from its underlying intelligence and adaptability as well as from a holistic approach to physical and oral care. Our patient-centric approach brings clear benefits for the elderly while supporting professional caregivers (doctors, nurses, dentists, etc) to optimize their practice, improve their care and reach out to a larger number of patients even if living in remote areas. The main functionalities of the ACESO platform are i) monitoring physical health parameters and oral hygiene; ii) calendar reminders for users; iii) maintaining oral care through personalized brushing experience extracted from the user’s brushing behaviour and iv) assessment tools for caregivers who will be able to optimize care interventions and to coach their patients over time. The target market is composed of three major groups: i) primary users are 60+ years old who suffers from modifications due to ageing regarding the whole body functionality (chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are mainly considered), ii) secondary users, i.e. dentists and hygienists and iii) tertiary users: insurance companies which will be also considered for the business and exploitation aspects of the project.

Versatile and economically viable robotic platform for indoor navigation in cluttered environments with obstacles Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect de transfer la operatorul economic
PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2019-0867 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICĂ "GHEORGHE ASACHI" IAŞI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/omni-z

Abstract:

CITST, the coordinating SME is aiming to exploit an increasing market niche resulting from the current demographic changes and emerging assistive robots. Development of intelligent products based on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the elderly population is strongly supported by the Europen Active and Assistive Living (AAL) Program (http://aal-europe.eu). The leading SME has developed in collaboration with UPB an AAL environment and framework around a robotic platform with the aim of paving the robotic way into AAL. The CAMI platform has been tested and demonstrated in several pilots around Europe. This has brought evidence about the interest of the elderly but also about the barriers robotic platforms face in being adopted in the everyday lives of elderly. Among such barriers we have identified high costs, security issues, and limited capabilities to navigate in cluttered environments.

Within the present project, the SME is aiming to improve the performance of an in-house modified robotic platform such that it becomes suitable for AAL environments and compatible with eHealth, domotics and wellbeing platforms which are part of CITST’s commercial strategy. The characteristics of the platform are innovative allowing passing over high obstacles. The bussines plan is promissing and motivating for the SME.

People detection and tracking for social robots and autonomous cars Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect experimental - demonstrativ
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-4995 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: https://aimas.cs.pub.ro/petra

Abstract:

Detecting, tracking, and recognizing people is a valuable capability for machines. However, these tasks are quite difficult to be achieved autonomously and, although significant results have been obtained, they are still a major technological challenge. People tracking, unlike other recognition and interpretation tasks, is difficult both from the point of view of the recognition and prediction of trajectory, and from the one of the identification of the ground truth.

The main objective of the PETRA project is the development of a software platform enabling the development of applications requiring people detection and tracking in real environments. The design and implementation of the platform and the set of supported algorithms for people detection and tracking will be such that they can be easily used and integrated in tasks performed by social robots in closed spaces, and also in tasks in open spaces, such as is the case for pedestrian detection and tracking. The scientific and technological challenge of the project is to start from our current developments on people detection and tracking in the contexts of user-robot interaction and autonomous driving, and develop and implement novel solutions based on deep learning approaches. Especially for people tracking, this is a significant challenge, less explored in the current state-of-the art, and aiming at improving results performances.

One of the main focuses of the project is to extensively test the implementations towards several difficult benchmarks, but also on our own data sets, and strive to achieve results better than current state-of-the-art.

PhoVR – Phobias Immersive Therapy through Adaptive Virtual Reality and Biofeedback Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect de transfer la operatorul economic
PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2019-0859 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: IPRINT 3D DESIGN & CONSULTING SRL

Project partners: IPRINT 3D DESIGN & CONSULTING SRL (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://www.pho-vr.com

Abstract:

The system aims to treat various phobias and anxieties with the help of virtual reality through gradual and controlled exposure to stimuli, in 3D environments with a high degree of realism and immersion. The 3D environment will contain complex scenes with terrain, vegetation, buildings and other elements that will allow the simulation of real scenes, in a natural or urban environment. The 3D environment can be adapted automatically or by the patient / therapist, in real time. Another component of the 3D environment adaptation includes the introduction of patient-support elements (music, video, texts, favorite objects or scenes with the purpose of ensuring relaxation or pre-recorded audio containing relaxation and self-control techniques). During the sessions, biophysical data will be acquired from patients (breathing rate and cardiac rhythm, electrodermal activity), which will be visualized in virtual reality (VR) in an intuitive way, providing bio-feedback regarding the current emotional state. The proposed solution will include quests and games that will determine the patient to explore and / or act in the virtual environment. A quest will contain a list of tasks that he must complete. We will design games that will include aspects of interaction that require movement, attention, concentration and speed of reaction, as well as games that require analysis, observation and reasoning. The PhoVR system is designed to be used as a psychotherapeutic tool, used in psychiatric / psychological treatment sessions with patients suffering from severe phobias and for the treatment of mild anxiety, which does not require psychiatric treatment. Here, the human therapist will be replaced by a virtual one, in the form of an avatar. An artificial intelligence algorithm will automatically determine the patient's current level of fear based on physiological signals and adapt the exposure scenario accordingly.

Integrated Solution for Innovative Elderly Care Call name: P 3 - SP 3.5 - Programul "Active and Assisted Living"
AAL-2017-059-INCARE 2018 - 2021

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); ECLEXYS SAGL (CH); IZRIIS Institute for research, intergenerational relations, gerontology and ICT (SI); Warsaw University of Technology (PL); The Unit for Social Innovation and Research „Shipyard“ (PL); Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research (HU); Softic Ltd (HU)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/incare

Abstract:

The “Integrated Solution for Innovative Elderly Care” – INCARE project builds upon two successful platforms (AAL-NITICS and FP7-RAPP) a new readily available product whose seamless operability and modularity are demonstrated in extensive end-user pilots that help its fast uptake by the market. We start from previously validated user insights and use a co-creation approach to tune the INCARE solution. Extended pilots carried out in four different countries, i.e. Poland, Slovenia, Romania and Hungary, not only aid the development but also bring evidence about the effectiveness of the INCARE solution. At larger scale, our aim is to increase awareness and strengthen trust in the positive effects and huge potential of high-tech AAL solutions.

INCARE offers a fully integrated solution that enables flexible, scalable and sustainable services to support elderly people with various backgrounds and age related impairments to self-manage their daily life, increase their sense of wellbeing, and prolong their involvement in the society while reducing the burden on their formal and informal caregivers. The INCARE solution goes beyond concatenation of functionalities by providing a seamless access of its users to a wealth of interconnected services with added functionalities.

The targeted TRL 7, together with a unique market proposition built upon the consortium experience and users’ input, ensures market success and facilitates commercialisation of the INCARE solution within 2 years after the end of the project. EXYS, by exploiting its considerable experience in the AAL sector, leads the process of bringing the INCARE solution to the market. SOFTIC will contribute by offering software solutions that support successful IT and business strategies.

The Robots and the Society: Cognitive Systems for Personal Robots and Autonomous Vehicles Call name: P 1 - SP 1.2 - Proiecte complexe realizate in consorții CDI
PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0734 2018 - 2021

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL DE CERCETARI PENTRU INTELIGENTA ARTIFICIALA ,,MIHAI DRAGANESCU'' (RO); INSTITUTUL DE MATEMATICA "SIMION STOILOW" AL ACADEMIEI ROMANE (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "DUNAREA DE JOS" (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://aimas.cs.pub.ro/robin/

Abstract:

ROBIN is a user-centered project designing software systems and services for the use of robots in an interconnected digital society, and enables companies to develop complex, intelligent and ready-to-use products and services for these users, as well as for the society as a whole. The project covers a diverse range of robots: assistive robots for the support of people with special needs, social robots for interaction with store customers, and software robots that can be installed on intelligent vehicles to achieve autonomous car driving. The project combines advanced techniques and technologies of artificial intelligence, human-robot interaction, interactions with a pervasive intelligent environment, and Cloud processing.

ROBIN-Social develops integrated and easily configurable solutions for the personalization of assistive and social robots, with a cognitive and autonomous character.

ROBIN-Car develops computer vision methods, which resolves a large and sophisticated plethora of tasks for automated driving, and a prototype system which will be tested on an electrical vehicle.

ROBIN-Context creates a support platform for the semantic representation and efficient management of data that becomes context in scenarios of personalized robotic assistance and AADS.

ROBIN-Dialog develops a set of scenarios for micro-worlds and the technology for the Romanian language processing to achieve situational dialogs in these micro-worlds.

ROBIN-Cloud builds a support platform for collecting data coming from the sensors of robotic systems and IoT systems that offers Cloud Edge and Cloud Robotics computing.

The complex project, through the interaction of its developed components, brings significant contributions in fundamental research, applied research, innovation, and technological transfer, offers advanced scientific and technical services, and contributes to the enhancement of the institutional capacity of the 4 partners in the consortium.

Space technologies used in the management of disasters and major crises, manifested at local, national and regional levels Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - SOLUTII - 3 - Tehnologii spaţiale în managementul dezastrelor şi crizelor majore
PN-III-P2-2.1-SOL-2016-03-0046 2017 - 2020

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE IN INFORMATICA - ICI BUCURESTI

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE IN INFORMATICA - ICI BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); UTI GRUP S.A. (RO); Ministerul Apararii Nationale prin Agentia de Cercetare pentru Tehnica si Tehnologii Militare (ACTTM) (RO); TERRASIGNA SRL (RO); INSTITUTUL DE STIINTE SPATIALE-FILIALA INFLPR (RO); INSTITUTUL ASTRONOMIC (RO); Academia Tehnica Militara (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://spero.ici.ro

Abstract:

Disaster management involves activities aiming to organize and manage resources and responsibilities to minimize human and material losses. The need for solid, real-time information to support authorities’ intervention, coordinate humanitarian activities and remove civilian security threats requires the use and analysis of satellite and multi-source data as well as fast mapping methods. The overall objective of the SPERO project - "Space technologies used in the management of disasters and major crises, manifested at local, national and regional levels" is to create a support platform for the management of emergency situations generated by natural disasters, industrial accidents, humanitarian crisis situations or extreme atmospheric and space phenomena. The project focuses on building a complex geo-spatial database, visualization, processing and analysis tools; inventory of risk areas and existing and necessary means for the management of major disasters and crises; integrated situational analysis at local, national and regional level; facilitating the access to these informational resources to structures with major crisis prevention and disaster response tasks; substantiating national and regional initiatives and policies and initiatives; Integration and capitalization of national expertise in support areas such as geo-spatial sciences, geodesy, cartography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, astrophysics, optical and video data processing, security and IT & C. Successful implementation of the project will have a significant impact on the profitability of the economic agents involved by increasing the annual turnover based on the services they offer in the proposed system. The achievement of the proposed system produces immediate positive economic effects by lowering the cost of crisis analysis and management, real-time and accurate estimation of the resources needed to solve crisis situations, as well as subsequent monitoring of the situations and problems generated. The results of the project will be disseminated and exploited through specific activities by the consortium partners.

Indoor and outdoor NITICSplus solution for dementia challenges Call name: P 3 - SP 3.5 - Programul "Active and Assisted Living"
AAL2017-AAL-2016-074-IONIS-2 2017 - 2020

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://aimas.cs.pub.ro/ionis/

Abstract:

People with dementia are evidencing, already from the early stage of the illness, memory loss, episodes of confusion and space-time disorientation. The latter often happens in unpredictable ways, with consequences that sometimes can be very serious. With the progress of the disease, the escape and wandering can become symptomatic and recurrent events. Currently, the problem lies almost completely on the families, which without other solutions, often get to drastic measures, reducing patient’s freedom. If this is not possible, caregivers live in a state of continuous stress. Location based services (LBS) have the potential to offer, at an affordable cost, useful help to both caretakers and caregivers. Motivated by this context, we propose to develop the IONIS by exploiting LBS, sleep quality monitoring, communication services in order to offer a wide range of dementia specific solutions through continuous support to people with dementia when they are at home (indoor area) or outside (outdoor area). A user-centered design involving extensive trials and piloting will be employed to both develop and validate the IONIS solution.

Artificially intelligent ecosystem for self-management and sustainable quality of life in AAL Call name: P 3 - SP 3.5 - Programul "Active and Assisted Living"
AAL-CAMI 2015 - 2018

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://www.camiproject.eu/

Abstract:

CAMI is offering a fully integrated AAL solution by providing services for health management, home management and wellbeing (including socialization, and reduced mobility support). CAMI builds an artificial intelligence ecosystem, which allows seamless integration of any number of ambient and wearable sensors with a mobile robotic platform endowed with multimodal interaction (touch, voice, person detection), including a telepresence robot with manipulatory capabilities.

The services offered by CAMI ecosystem address both healthy individuals as well as those with age-related impairments. CAMI solution will reconcile the increased demand for care in the current aging society with limited resources by supporting an efficient and sustainable care system.

Performant Services for Client Assistance Based on Robotic Platforms Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Transfer de cunoaștere la agentul economic „Bridge Grant”
PN-III-P2-2.1-BG-2016-0425 2016 - 2018

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://aimas.cs.pub.ro/sparc

Abstract:

Robots have started to have a tremendous impact in economy and society through cost reduction of operations, increase of quality and conditions of work, assistance of people with special needs and, recently, client support and assistance in different domains.

The available technology at CITST on which this project is based, is the Tiago robot manufactured by Pal Robotics. Tiago is a mobile platform with manipulation, perception, manipulation and grasping abilities, and speech synthesis and understanding,. Tiago is an almost humanoid robot with a height of 146 cm and a weight of 75kg. CITST wants to exploit this robotic technology as a service offer for its potential clients. The envisaged scenarios are product promotion and/or clients’ assistance in public places such as malls, museums, exhibitions, etc. If a certain company wants to promote a product or offer robotic assistance to its clients, CITST will personalize and adapt the actions of the robot to achieve the desired tasks or scenarios, and will lease the robot to this company. In this context, the main goal of this project is the design and implementation of a robotic platform to achieve integrated planning of Tiago tasks, command of the execution of defined tasks and monitoring of robots actions. Based on this platform, the robot activity must be easily configurable according to given scenarios and must allow multi-modal interactions with the client.

The successful achievement of the project objectives will have a significant impact for the CITST company. The immediate technical impact of the project is to offer the company an easy way to define and configure the robot for client support in different contexts. The possible future impact is to increase the number and nature of CITST robotic services with services that are autonomous, flexible and reliable, including services for persons with special needs.

Intelligent system for management, monitoring and maintenance of pavements and roads using modern imaging techniques-PAV3M Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-1762 2014 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); CENTRUL DE COMPETENTA IN ELECTROSTATICA SI ELECTROTEHNOLOGII S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "VALAHIA" TARGOVISTE (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "DUNAREA DE JOS" (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Project website: https://econ.ubbcluj.ro/PAV3M, https://www.facebook.com/pages/PAV3M/757415914312096

Abstract:

The primary objective of PAV3M is to develop a holistic platform which integrates imaging based road pavement inspection technology with a risk management and cost/benefits application software tool to support road management needs of transportation agencies, construction and road rehabilitation companies and local governments. On the technological side we propose an automated, portable visual pavement inspection system for traffic-speed pavement distress monitoring and analysis of road pavements whose high degree of integration, easy mountability and costs will permit its operation on non-specialized vehicles and thus its widespread use. Current approaches for road condition data collection are done by specialized vehicles at substantial costs and long inspection cycles. In some cases, due to limited funding, officials even relay on time-consuming manual labor. Yet the importance for traffic safety of timely identification and rectification of road deformations cannot be overstated.

PAV3M will exploit recent advances in image acquisition hardware (higher resolution sensors, faster and more light sensitive digital cameras, increased data acquisition rates, etc.) and the tremendous increase in processing/computing power of “miniatural” units. The proposed system will consist of an innovative camera system and a full set of additional sensors for positioning, orientation and communication. Within PAV3M we will develop efficient algorithms and methods for automated image and video processing to identify and quantify road pavement surface condition parameters. Coupling this information with prediction of defects and with a cost and risk management application will endow the road owners with a methodology to assess the current status of the pavements and to evaluate the effect of maintenance techniques on the pavement capital.

Economic and risk management aspects (UBB) together with defect evolution prediction will be fully integrated into a web portal offering a service that is part of the SMEs (CITST and CCEE) business strategy for targeting the fast developing Romanian road management sector. Intelligent System development will follow Oguara objectives of Pavement Maintenance and Management Systems (PMMS) linked with management tools and functionality. Our proposal links together PMMS and PMS (Pavement Management Systems) in a web-based multi-tier modular solution, which will be offered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) through a web portal.

Using semantic Web we propose a road history database, which can be used in the risk management module. An expert module assists the decision makers in finding optimum strategies for maintaining pavements and the risk module offers solutions for avoid or mitigate risk factors in a given period of time for the minimum cost. This module will offer alternative strategies to cover the wide range of risks associated with pavements, which was proposed by Paine, based on Unified Facilities Criteria for Pavement Maintenance Management.

Partners involved in the project ensure the complementary synergies in a trans-disciplinary approach, based on their competencies, involving a number of interrelated disciplines. We mention relevant expertise in hardware integration, image processing and pattern recognition area, multimedia databases, business process management, risk management, e-business application, portals and web technologies, Web services.

Mobility pattern assistant for elderly people Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-2241 2014 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" DIN SUCEAVA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://aimas.cs.pub.ro/mobile-old/

Abstract:

Given the large number of elderly in the future, limiting the negative effects of non-adoption of ICT by future elderly (i.e.social exclusion) and stimulating the positive effects (which, on an aggregate scale might provide a solution for the financial problems related to the graying of the population), becomes an important task for public policies. In this context, the main goal of this project is to develop an elderly-friendly platform and associated tools for assisting elderly people to maintain a healthy lifestyle in their homes. By relaying on natural interaction devices (Kinect sensor) and natural user interfaces commanded by gestures, the platform will increase its chances of acceptability by the elderly community, thus addressing the perpetual problem of ICT for elderly.

The Mobile@Old platform will supervise elderly people in their homes, tracking their physical daily activities and supervising their vital signs (pulse, heart rate, etc), thus acting as a Personal Assistant (PA). One of the primary goals is to act as non-intrusively as possible while relying on modern technologies that will ensure its effectiveness. It will take an interdisciplinary approach making use of several novel techniques in artificial intelligence, image analysis, knowledge extraction, data fusion, agents applied in ambient intelligence applications correlated with medical and psychological issues.

The platform addresses age related issues beyond the simple physical fitness. Computer games may be able to contribute to delaying cognitive degradation-game mechanics and game dynamics are able to positively influence human behavior because they are designed to drive the players above the activation threshold (i.e. the upper right of the ability-motivation axis), and then trigger them into specific actions. However these games need to be tailored to the elderly, in game playing, interface and objectives.

PA will extract a mobility pattern for each user and to generate remainders and alerts regarding to their physical and other daily activities. In case of low physical activity PA will advise the user to increase her/his level of physical exercise. The exercises will be performed interactively, as an adaptive game, specifically designed for elderly persons. The intensity level of the recommended physical exercises will be generated and adapted based on both vital parameters of the user (analyzed using a medical expertise) and also on his observed behavior by a team of psychologists.

The project will support maintaining health and functional capacity of older people and promote a better lifestyle and healthier for people based on the following components:

• VSM - Vital Sign Monitoring: performing analysis of vital signs using medical expertise and the observed behavior by interacting with a team of psychologists.

• PAT - Physical Activity Trainer: recommendation making exercise more, in case of detection of a low level of physical activity. These exercises will be carried out interactively as an adaptive game designed for the elderly;

• The recommended exercises will be generated and adapted based on the vital parameters values obtained from different sensors, also based on the user behavior.

a recommended Exercise will be generated and adapted based on the values of various sensors monitor vital parameters and user behavior. The project is carried out by a multidisciplinary consortium composed of three universities and one SME with expertise in computer vision, artificial intelligence and ambient intelligence (UPB, Bucharest), user interfaces, web technologies and programming (UBB, Cluj Napoca), affective intelligence and pattern recognition (USV, Suceava), image processing and hardware development (small enterprise IT Center for Science and Technology SRL: CITST). A team of psychologists and a physician from UBB and a kinetotherapist from USV will be part of the consortium.

The Identification and Correlation between Concepts in Old Romanian Books and Manuscripts, using a Computer Application to stimulate Social Dynamics through the Appraisal of the Cultural Production Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-2062 2014 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); BIBLIOTECA CENTRALA UNIVERSITARA LUCIAN BLAGA (RO)

Affiliation: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Project website: http://mcvro.granturi.ubbcluj.ro/

Abstract:

Great efforts are being made nowadays to ensure access through modern means to the elements of cultural patrimony (e.g. manuscripts, old books etc.). Various projects and public initiatives are trying to grant access for the research community to resources which otherwise would be difficult to acquire; their efforts aim at finding solutions for digitization and content partition. In a similar vein, partition mechanisms are being developed to allow the content providers to partition the content they currently hold. Facilitating the access to the resources of the cultural patrimony through electronic means marks an important step in the research of patrimony objects, mainly because this step grants the access to these resources, which otherwise would be difficult to access and study.

We consider that the next step of this process is the extraction of content (a direction which already retrieved certain results) from this corpus of documents and the application of methods of processing natural language, (semantic) annotation and statistic processing in view of testing the data extraction through semi-automatic means so that it encourages conceptual correlations/connections. By identifying the concepts and by integrating them into an ample system of correlations, the informational content of these resources is rated, and this aspect constitutes the foundation of cultural production with a high social impact. In this context, the project puts forward 3 elements:  the creation of a virtual library of old Romanian books and manuscripts (OROMB) at BCU  creating instruments for the extraction and processing of OROMB content in order to assess them for prospective research of specialists in the fields of: theology, economy, philology, history, ethics/philosophy, medicine etc.  the creation of a system of identification of the concepts and their correlations, with interdisciplinary significance, based on the scanned OROMB; this makes up the primary innovative element of the project

The project is designed as an instrument of actual cultural production, having direct positive implications in terms of social dynamics; facilitating access to OROMB and identifying the concepts contained and their set of correspondences allows the extraction, correlation and assessment of the information contained in the Romanian cultural treasury. Taking into account the extension of the corpus generated through these interconnections, we consider that the expansion of the set of instruments is crucial and we deem that it ought to encompass automatic means of processing content in view of retrieving new information.

The model created in the project is in fact an instrument that aims at enhancing the quality of the extracted text, by making use of technologies which process natural language, as well as through content analysis, using both the analysis and statistics methods of the social networks, which expedite the understanding of the corpus of the cultural patrimony. The project proposes the creation of a collaborative informational system for the management of OROMB. The documents included in the project will be scanned, compressed, archived, OCR processed, stored in a files deposit, which will ensure multidimensional analyses; apart from text management, these will be then opened to public access. The oversight of the documents will feature as text management (creating, modifying, indexing and key-words use), as well as hyper-text structures, through which document entities are connected to other document entities, thus creating a network structure analogous to WWW. Following the digitization, the documents will be edited and studied by OROMB experts from various fields, who will define the specifications for the extraction of the concepts and the connections between them; the correlation network that emerged will be used to generate new scientific productions meant to valorise the OROMB treasury as an element of social dynamics.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects