San Faustino Open Day: On Thursday, October 9th, the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies opens its doors to the public for a day dedicated to research, science, and technology
Research Takes Center Stage Again in Pontedera with the Traditional Event at the Polo Sant’Anna Valdera. Lab tours, outreach stands, a kids' area, and mini-conferences on the future of medicine and the intersection between biorobotics, cinema, comics, and literature. Free admission, no reservation required
Research finds a home in Pontedera once again with San Faustino Open Day, the now traditional event held every year in celebration of the city's patron saint. The Sant’Anna Valdera Campus (Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera), the main location of the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, will open its labs to the public for a full day of scientific exploration and outreach.
From 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 9th, the laboratories of the BioRobotics Institute, the Italian Institute of Technology, and the ARTES 4.0 competence center will showcase their latest research activities in fields such as biorobotics, soft robotics, surgical robotics, artificial organs, wearable robotics, and technologies tackling climate change through sustainable innovation. Admission is free and no reservation is required.
Events and Activities
The San Faustino Open Day will feature guided tours of the Institute’s research areas, children’s workshops, outreach stands, and conferences on some of the most cutting-edge topics in science, such as the future of medicine and the blending of art and biorobotics. Two conferences will present projects led by the BioRobotics Institute and the Italian Institute of Technology, exploring key future challenges for scientific research.
Conference Program (Room 1, Polo Sant’Anna Valdera):
- 3:00 p.m. – "Pop Biorobotics" by Alberto Mazzoni, Associate Professor of Bioengineering:
From Leonardo da Vinci's automatons to Cyborg from Teen Titans, via HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ghost in the Shell—biorobotics explained (also) through Avengers movies.
How we imagine robots and artificial intelligence has influenced how we build them, and vice versa. A talk for ages 8 to 99, like puzzles! - 4:00 p.m. – “A Man in Miniature: The Future of Medicine on a Chip” by Giulia Gigante (Italian Institute of Technology): Creating a "miniature man" becomes reality with organs-on-a-chip—innovative devices capable of realistically replicating organ functions and their interactions. This technology marks a new milestone in biomedical research: it enables the study of complex diseases, drug testing, and the development of personalized therapies, while also reducing the need for animal testing. A revolution that brings the future of medicine onto a chip.
San Faustino for Kids!
What are the cells we're made of like?
Young visitors can find out at the “Cell Biology for Kids” workshop, scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Room 3. Cells differ depending on the organs they belong to, but they also share many features. We'll build a model using candy, chocolate, and whipped cream!
Then at 5:00 p.m., there’s the “Paint with Nature!” workshop, open to children aged 4 to 10 (with a guardian). A perfect opportunity to discover how nature can become a colorful palette! Using fruit, vegetables, and spices, kids will create natural paints to explore color, creativity, and have fun getting their hands a little messy in a hands-on learning experience.
