International Festival of Robotics: for the second year in a row, Pisa will become a “RoboTown” from 27 September to 3 October 2018. Cultural, scientific and artistic events under the auspices of Sant’Anna School
“RoboTown” in Pisa, with the addition of Pontedera and Lucca, is a festival of events on advanced robotics and automation systems. Events for people of all ages are being held up across the town, spanning public lectures, open labs, presentations, and cutting-edge robotics showcases. The festival will be held from September 27 to October 3, 2018 in the Tuscany “RoboTowns” devoted to research and technology. Its mission is to conduct high-quality research and to provide innovative solutions for policymakers and the public. This inspiring event will highlight how robotics and automation are helping people to make life and work easier. The competitive advantage of the town is its high-skilled workers and excellent research institutions. In particular, Pisa has a long history of investments to move robotics, sensors, and automation technologies out of the lab and into the city.
The Festival 2017 has claimed record figures with more than 10,000 visitors. This year, Sant’Anna School and public institutions in Pisa have confirmed their engagement and partnerships to develop the research activities that have become pivotal to the local economy. The town technology-based economic foundations as a critical component of the national and global social mission have an active effort in leading robotics and automation in the service sector for the sake of human assistance. The multidisciplinary nature of Pisa’s academic research strengths is revealed through fields such as educational robotics as key of success in the 21st century skills, friendly robotics and biomedical engineering: friendly robots designed to help humans not to replace them.
The Robotics Festival 2018 will also emphasize the importance of robotics for creativity and critical thinking for both post-secondary level education and school-aged children.
Comune di Pisa, Provincia di Pisa, Università di Pisa, Scuola Normale Superiore, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche di Pisa, Istituto di BioRobotica della Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Centro di Ricerca “E.Piaggio” dell’Università di Pisa, Centro di Eccellenza Endocas dell’Università di Pisa, Irccs Fondazione Stella Maris, Camera di Commercio, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, and Fondazione Arpa have confirmed their partnership and joint commitment to the Robotics Festival 2018 event.
The Robotics Festival 2018 is organized by Franco Mosca, president of Fondazione Arpa and Professor Emeritus of surgery at the University of Pisa. Renato Raimo will serve as the artistic director. Singer Andrea Bocelli has announced his performance on October 3, 2018, at Teatro Verdi.
The event will be held in the streets and squares of Pisa, Pontedera, Lucca and Migliarino: in Pisa at Arsenali Repubblicani, convento Benedettine, palazzo della Sapienza, Stazione Leopolda, Scuola Normale Superiore, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Navicelli, Opera della Primaziale, Camera di Commercio, Centro Ricerca Enel, Unione Industriale Pisana, Domus Mazziniana, Officine Garibaldi, Parco Naturale Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli, Torre Guelfa della Cittadella, Museo – Cantiere delle Navi Antiche, and Centro di Restauro del Legno Bagnato. In Lucca at Teatro Puccini and Torre del Lago, in Pontedera - Fondazione Piaggio.
The Robotics Festival initiatives include:
- MoBOT presentation, by Mediate Robotics;
- “Come vede un robot” exhibition, by Massimo Bergamasco;
- “Europe Regulates Robotics” conference by Andrea Bertolini;
- “Riabilitazione e accessibilità: le nuove tecnologie” conference, speakers Maria Chiara Carrozza and Stefano Mazzoleni;
- "Ulteriorità o smaterializzazione" conference, by Barbara Henry .
Click here for the Festival agenda.
