MAGICIAN 2nd open call
MAGICIAN 2nd open call
A common trait of many important markets is the increasing attention of consumers to the aesthetic quality of the products. Even products like mid-segment cars are required to be defect-free in all the areas falling under the direct sight of the customer. These expectations translate into high-quality standards in the production process, which are currently met by requiring an important physical effort to the workers in unsafe environments. The MAGICIAN project will take on the challenge producing a modular automation solution in which robots are used to detect and rework production defects before the last production phases commence and the aesthetics of the product is finalised. The project will produce two robotic solutions, one for defect analysis (the SR) and one for the defects’ rework (the CR). The SR and the CR can be used separately, with the humans remaining in charge of some of the activities, or in combination, with the CR operating on the defects identified by the SR. The SR can also be used in connection with the welding robotic station in order to adapt the process parameters. The robots will use Artificial Intelligence modules to detect and discriminate the defects from multi-modal data (the SR) or to decide the best policy to use for defect rework (the CR). In both cases, the decision logic of the modules will be trained using machine learning algorithms. The training data set will be acquired with the help of workers, who will operate on semi-worked products within a controlled environment. The SR and the CR will rely on the software services of a common robotic platform. The solution will be developed adopting a human-centered approach, which will allow us to evaluate the impact of the innovation on the production processes and remove the most important asperities along this path. The effectiveness of the solution will be tested on a use-case, and its generality proven by recruiting additional contributors and use-cases through a FSTP scheme.
Entité de financement
Commission Européenne - Horizon EuropeClôture de l'appel
2 mars 2026Zone géographique
eur
Objectif
The Second Open Call aims to explore how MAGICIAN capabilities can be applied across distinct use cases in close collaboration with MAGICIAN partners. The goal will be to further explore and validate the performance and adaptability of MAGICIAN framework within new and diverse real-time production environments.
This Open Call aims to fund 5 distinct projects, each addressing a specific use case designed to extend and demonstrate the applications of a maximum of 2 capabilities envisioned within the MAGICIAN framework for the future MAGICIAN solution, in innovative domains beyond the automotive sector.
Among the following list of targeted sectors, five innovative use cases will be selected. Each proposal application should target maximum one sector:
• Aerospace: defect detection in components and systems for the aerospace industry; reworking of minor surface defects on aircraft panels and structural components.
• Electronics: PCB and motherboard manufacturing defect detection; automated reworking of boards through precise resoldering, component replacement, and micro-repair operations.
• Heavy Industry & Energy: The processed stone and marble industry for building and interior applications; production of large components and systems for energy production, e.g., solar energy, wind energy, turbines, etc., or energy storage, e.g., converters, batteries, etc; robotic inspection of welded joints, castings, or machined components to detect cracks and porosity.
• Interior design components: wood manufacturing of components for furniture and appliances; the building components industry, specifically for millwork, doors, fixtures, laminates and windows.
• Maritime & shipbuilding: components and structure defect check for maritime transportation.
• Public transports: safety structure and components check for large transportation systems, e.g., train, airplanes, buses.
• Intermediate components based on glass, plastic, textile: Manufacturing processes involving semi-finished components made of glass, plastic, or textile materials for use in various industrial applications. This includes quality inspection and defect detection on transparent, flexible, or composite materials; automated handling and surface finishing of molded or laminated parts; and precision reworking of minor defects such as scratches, bubbles, or inconsistencies in coatings and textures.
• White goods: Production and assembly of large household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, and dishwashers. This includes surface inspection of metallic and plastic panels, detection of assembly or coating defects, and automated reworking or polishing of visible exterior components to ensure high aesthetic and functional standards.
Critères d'éligibilité
MAGICIAN is targeting the following types of companies from Member States of the EU or Horizon Europe Associated Countries :
▪ Startups
▪ Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
MAGICIAN partners support selected third parties in different ways and roles: AUC can be promoted by one single applicant (Single AUC) or by a small consortium of maximum 2 organizations (Twin AUC).
Technologies clés
Application Use Case proposals must adapt up to two of the following capabilities to one of the sectors listed below:
o (C1.1) Capabilitiy 1.1 Sensors for accurate defect detection and
classification
o (C1.2) Capability 1.2 polarized camera system which seeks to optimize the MAGICIAN polarized camera system for defect detection.
o (C1.3) Capability 1.3 Increase defect removal and rework abilities the MAGICIAN Cleaning Robot.
o (C1.4) Capability 1.4 Annotation Tools for Multi-Modal Data which aims to find innovative annotation tools specifically for multi -modal data.
o (C1.5) Capability 1.5 Innovative approaches and architectures for improved defect detection and classification
o (C2.1) Capability 2.1 Human Observation : The MAGICIAN first solution employs Dynamic Motion Primitives (DMPs) and Riemannian manifolds to model and transfer human skills for defect detection and correction to the CR.
o (C2.2) Capability 2.2 Human Interface and Interaction: more
flexible interfaces, which should demonstrate bidirectional functionality.
Typologie de consortium
The maximum funding per Application Use Case (AUC) is 200 k€, at a funding rate of 70% of the budget for SMEs, reaching up to 100% of the budget in case of Start-ups.
Project duration should be between 6 and 12 months. Solutions are expected to reach TRL7 by the end of the programme.
MAGICIAN provides access to advanced technologies and industrial platforms that are developed by the Consortium, such as:
• Collected datasets (defect collections, human motions inside the working cells for defect detection and reworking, camera and touching sensor data)
• CAD design and mounting instructions for the designed sensing system and grinding tool
• Testing facilities, including testing robots, for solutions fine-tuning
• Support in software integration and solution adaptation
• Application domain knowledge