Exoskeletons that lift objects. Wheelchairs that move by themselves. Smart cuddly toys that get excited by a hug. Surgical robots that operate 3D printed kidneys. Driver assistance systems that study the pilot's pupil. And more drones, augmented reality viewers, collaborative robots for industry. Everything under one roof.
It happens in the new space of the Leonardo Robotics Labs and Movelab, inaugurated at the Politecnico di Milano: 500 square meters of the historic Carlo Erba building transformed into a 'gym' where robots, artificial intelligence systems and autonomous vehicles will take shape and train under the supervision of over a hundred researchers.
"It is a dream come true," says the pro-rector Donatella Sciuto, recalling the long gestation and the renovation works that led to the realization of this project born in 2013.
The new infrastructure brings together four existing laboratories: Airlab, dedicated to artificial intelligence and robotics; Merlin, specialized in mechatronics, industrial robotics and motion control; Nearlab, which develops hi-tech solutions for rehabilitation and assistance to disabled and frail patients; Movelab, which does research in the field of intelligent vehicles and smart mobility.
"They are different laboratories, but united by transversal skills and technologies: by joining forces we will have more efficiency, more operational and impact capacity", adds Gianantonio Magnani, who together with Stefano Tubaro directs the Department of electronics, information and bioengineering (Deib) of the 'university.
This reunification, which brings experts from different sectors to work side by side, "is already giving significant results in terms of collaboration, interchange and new research activities", concludes Tubaro.