Brussels, 27/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - Around a hundred innovative projects funded by the EU in the sector of information and communications technology (ICT) are being presented at the ICT 2010-Digitally Driven forum at Brussels Expo, from 27 to 29 September. This biennial event, which is organised by the European Commission and hosted this year by Belgium, which holds the six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU, brings together researchers, business leaders and political decision-makers to look at the latest trends in ICT. Among the main themes for this year are: sustainable development in a low-carbon economy; what ICT can bring to everyday life and the importance of public funding for ICT. The projects presented as part of the ICT 2010 forum include: - 3D-COFORM: this project aims to put the 3D digitalisation of works of art and artistic sites to work to benefit the conservation of cultural heritage, in a way which is accessible, practical and effective (http://www.3d-coform.eu ); - BeAware: this technology, currently undergoing testing in Finland and Italy, consists of wireless interactive sensors which assess the energy consumption of domestic appliances, then let consumers know how much energy could be saved (http://www.energyawareness.eu/beaware ); - the lighting project using semi-conductors, Oled100.eu, which has developed organic lighting techniques which are five times more effective than conventional lighting and could help the EU to cut its CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 (http://www.oled100.eu ); - the Presenccia project designs virtual technology solutions to create and adapt medical applications for use by people living with disability. For example, amputees would be able to learn how to use a prosthetic or people in wheelchairs would learn to walk in virtual reality, and people suffering permanent paralysis would even be able to transcribe their thoughts directly onto a computer screen (http://www.presenccia.org ); - Saferider technology aims to improve road safety and make life easier for motorcyclists. It lets them know if they are speeding, gives them estimates of upcoming bends in the road and recommends that they change lane to avoid a collision, telling them the speed and position of vehicles coming the other way. In the event of an accident, Saferider triggers the eCall system automatically to dial 112, the single emergency number in Europe, to inform the emergency services of the location of the accident (http://www.saferider-eu.org ); - PlayMancer explores the potential advantages of 3D games for the health sector. The game consists of transporting patients in a virtual world in which their emotions are identified using their facial expressions, movements and words. The game establishes the emotional state of the patient and adjusts to suit. This helps to alleviate symptoms while the healthcare professional follows the progress on line (http://www.playmancer.eu ); - the robot Kompaï is a way of meeting the challenge of the ageing population in Europe. Designed to attend elderly, sick and disabled people with reduced independence in their own homes, it is able to speak, obey orders, move through the house and access services over the internet. It remembers appointments, writes the shopping list and is even able to arrange on-line video conferences to allow users to consult their doctors (http://www.robosoftnews.wordpress.com ); - the robot iCub can sit, crawl and manipulate objects using its five articulated fingers. Assistance robots must be able to carry out household tasks, such as fetching medicines or serving drinks to the elderly or the disabled. (B.C./transl.fl)