What if in a near future Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes human-centric, focusing on human needs and build trustworthiness by mutual understanding? Today, millions of people worldwide suffer from deteriorated motor abilities, due to stroke, brain tumor surgery or accident. This represents a serious society challenge with missing adequate technological response. Patients need assistive devices that are trustworthy, multifunctional, adaptive and interactive, i.e., intelligent, unlike current neuroprosthetics that replace single motor impairments. MAIA proposes a paradigm shift where human-centric AI will control prosthetic and assistive devices. We will investigate and resolve critical steps towards the rapid development of such human-centric control: a radically novel intention decoder, a novel concept for trustworthy human-AI interactions, and a new type of database for acquired information from multiple sources. MAIA AI technology will decode human intentions and communicate the decoded targets to assistive devices and to the users, to ensure compliance and develop trust through natural interaction and mutual learning. The technological outcome will be a multifunctional human-centric AI controller at TRL4 with embedded trustworthy characteristics, suitable to be integrated in robotic arms, wheelchair and exoskeletons. To reach this, MAIA will investigate the principles underlying natural, fast and lean communication and new forms of combinations of neural and behavioural data beyond current data processing. MAIA’s approach will be guided by real needs of end users (patients and caregivers) through their direct involvement in the research program, and by all current knowledge from neuro-, cognitive, and social science research. The application domains of MAIA’s new paradigm span from healthcare to industry, and space exploration. We will also establish a European innovation ecosystem beyond the research labs that will stimulate highly innovative enterprises.

Space is fundamental to physical and perceptual reality, but physical and perceptual space are not the same. Perceptual space is created by the brain and plastically formed by the sensorimotor interactions of our body with physical reality. In the digital future, these two spaces are joined by novel spaces experienced in virtual (VR) and extended (XR) reality as these new technologies massively expand in work, pleasure and social interaction. The first aim of PLACES is to understand how sensorimotor interactions in virtual environments shape perceptual space and how this interacts with virtual (VS) and real (RS) space. Secondly, deep and improved knowledge of perceptual mechanisms is essential for the future development of VR as a key digital technology for Europe. To work for the people, VR and XR need to be effective, comfortable, transparent and fair. These aims can only be reached by understanding and accounting for perception in a human-centric manner. Based on these premises, the highly interdisciplinary consortium of PLACES pursues five key objectives: to (1) use cutting-edge VR technology to advance scientific knowledge of the mechanisms of sensorimotor perception and plasticity; (2) use our understanding about spatial perception, gaze control and sensorimotor plasticity to advance VR technology and enhance VR applicability; (3) predict action intentions of users in VR and employ these predictions in advanced user interfaces; (4) understand how long-term usage of VR interacts with perceptual and sensorimotor states in real space and in virtual space; and (5) translate research findings into applied fields in vision aids and social telepresence. Reaching these objectives will put the EU on the map as a leader in perception research and its application in VR. PLACES aims for new frontiers in perception science and its applications, and for a significant impact on the people of the EU.

The proposed DN “Advanced Customized Technologies for Intact Vision in Ageing” (ACTIVA) provides an international, interdisciplinary platform to train young scientists at the interface of physics and medicine to study unresolved questions and develop novel techniques to facilitate intact, or even improved, visual function in the elderly population. Good vision throughout life is a key factor both on a personal level and socioeconomically and has particular pertinence to the ageing population of Europe. ACTIVA is a joint initiative to develop new optical technologies that will facilitate good vision throughout life. Within the project, 9 young researchers will be trained in new optical technologies to diagnose and compensate for different aspects of the normal ageing of the eye as well as the most common age-related ocular conditions. The novel vision enabling techniques, to be developed in this DN, will focus on facilitating the functionality of both near and far vision. Furthermore, early diagnosis of ocular diseases is essential to offer timely treatment and reduce the risk of vision loss. The novel diagnosis technologies, to be developed in this DN, will focus on early detection of pathological changes in visual function. The consortium combines the expertise of three academic partners with excellent research and teaching records and two fully integrated private sector partners. Furthermore, the consortium will be counselled by a scientifically accomplished External Advisory Board. Close collaborations and multi-site training activities will ensure to provide the young researchers with a vast network and interdisciplinary research experience. ACTIVA will be recognized worldwide as a major contribution to the ageing challenge and the social investment of the European Commission in active ageing.

Space is the foundational characteristic of visual perception and we generally perceive it as continuous and uniform. Behavioural measurements and the properties of our sensory systems however, demonstrate that this is an illusory situation and our percept is constructed by the brain. One example is our lack of awareness of the blind spot that exists in each eye. Space is non-uniformly represented in the visual brain and this representation is dynamically influenced by motor behaviour, in particular by eye movements. The PLATYPUS consortium will investigate the dynamic nature of spatial sensation and perception, focussing on the continuous mutual interaction of motor behaviour and perception. Our research objectives integrate human behavioural and cutting edge non-human primate electrophysiological research techniques and focus on translation of basic into applied research. Focussing on the adaptive nature of vision and action, strategies to perturb and probe perceptual space and geometry will allow measurement of spatial and geometrical perception in humans and the representation of such in non-human primates. This research will extend to applications for people wearing progressive lenses which distort action and space perception, patients with a blind area in their visual field and for virtual reality technology development. PLATYPUS researchers will grow existing and establish new collaborative teams, sharing research techniques, knowledge and mentoring between established and with upcoming researchers in academia and industry. Individuals will benefit from intense scientific and career development training while institutions will benefit from the exchange of state-of-the-art techniques. The ultimate outcome will be increased understanding of the continuously updating neural construction of space and the production of assistive technologies for people needing corrective lenses, with ocular or visual discontinuity and for the growing virtual reality industry.

The proposed ETN “Myopia: fundamental understanding needed” (MyFUN) provides an international, interdisciplinary platform to train young scientists at the interface of physics and biology, to study unresolved questions about the visual control of eye growth. It has been extensively documented that the growth of the eye is controlled by closed-loop visual feedback, using retinal image defocus as an error signal. However, with tense education, predominant indoor activity and extensive near work, the eyes of young people grow too long and become near-sighted (myopic), reaching a prevalence of 95% in some Asian cities and 50% at German universities. While myopia is clearly a civilization disorder, it is strikingly unclear by which visual stimuli it is triggered, and how it can be stopped. Emerging optical interventions have still only moderate effects. There are fundamental questions, like “Why does myopia not limit itself?”, “Why does undercorrection not reduce its progression?”, “Why are the effects of new spectacle designs to inhibit myopia so small?”, “What determines when it starts and can we find biological markers to predict myopia in individual cases?”. We propose a scheme of novel experiments, divided into 14 research projects that all have sufficient scientific depth and merit to merge into 14 successful PhD theses. The answers to the research questions will fundamentally improve our understanding of myopia, will be recognized worldwide and will represent a major contribution of the European Community to the global problem of the rising incidence of myopia. Our consortium consists of 7 Beneficiaries, combining the expertise of 5 academic partners with excellent research and teaching records and 2 fully integrated private sector partners. MyFUN will be supported by a management team experienced in multi-site training activities and counselled by a scientifically accomplished External Advisory Board.