Partner description:

The CEA is the French Atomic Energy Commission (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique). It is a public body established in October 1945. The CEA is active in three main fields : Energy, information and health technologies, and defense and national security. In each of these fields, the CEA maintains a cross-disciplinary culture of engineers and researchers, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research. In 2006, the total CEA workforce consisted of 15 332 employees (52 % of whom were in management grades). Across the whole of the CEA (including both civilian and military research), there were 1,017 PhD students and 278 post-docs.

Two laboratories at the CEA are participating in HANDLE: The Interactive Robots Unit (LRM) and The Sensory Interfaces  Laboratory (LIS). LRM is involved in Robotics and micro robotics fields. Basically, the LRM works on mechatronic design for robot, topological optimization and control of flexible structures and new actuation/sensing technologies. The research focus of LIS is in haptics and tactile sensing, the design of new application oriented haptic systems, and on man–machine interactions. The contribution of LIS in the HANDLE project will be the development of artificial skin for with embedded tactile sensing