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Open Perception, Learning, and Decision-Making Toolbox for General Purpose Robot AI

OPERA

OngoingHorizon Europe

Published on
Last updated

Abstract

Most current AI systems rely almost exclusively on fast, intuitive System 1 processing, that is pattern recognition
from large datasets, while lacking the deliberate System 2 reasoning needed for planning, adaptation, and trustworthy
decision making. This imbalance limits adaptability, safety, and explainability in dynamic, real world environments. The
OPERA project addresses these gaps by advancing General Purpose AI for robotics that integrates System 1 efficiency
with System 2 analytical capabilities, both in inference and learning. This enables robots to estimate confidence levels
and detect anomalies while maintaining fast reactive behaviour, escalate to System 2 when needed, plan over long
horizons, adapt to domain shifts, and make explainable and trustworthy decisions aligned with European values and
the AI Act.

Objectives

  • OPERA will deliver validated System 1 and System 2 tools capable of pushing General Purpose AI beyond mere pattern recognition. It will place Europe at the forefront of GPAI-based robotics, fostering productivity, sustainability and climate neutrality through energy-efficient, adaptive and trustworthy systems, and reaching TRL 5 in the planned use cases, so as to achieve open strategic autonomy in GPAI, the most significant emerging enabling technology.

Project leads

  • Giovanni Pezzulo

    Principal investigator

  • Daniele Bruschi

    Project manager

Project team

Structures and partners

  • Istituto di scienze e tecnologie della cognizione (ISTC)
  • ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
  • TAMPEREEN KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR
  • ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURG
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT NURNBERG
  • AARHUS UNIVERSITET
  • CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZE
  • NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU
  • PAL ROBOTICS SLU
  • ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • ROBERT BOSCH MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS GMBH
  • CYBERBOTICS SARL
  • CY.R.I.C CYPRUS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTER LTD