La ricerca del Dipartimento di Eccellenza in Robotics & AI convolge un numero considerevole di docenti e ricercatori (circa l’80% del personale afferente ai tre Istituti che vi partecipano) e ha prodotto nel corso del primo periodo di finanziamento (2018-2022) numerose linee di ricerca sulla Robotica e l’intelligenza artificiale nei settori di AI e Scienze dei materiali.
Di seguito elenchiamo la lista dei temi di ricerca ai quali afferiscono gruppi di ricercatori sia interni che di altre università, e che hanno partecipato al raggiungimento di risultati scientifici nel corso di questo periodo. Per ciascuno dei temi inoltre, è disponibile una descrizione in allegato (esclusivamente in lingua inglese) dei contenuti del tema di ricerca, del team iniziale di lavoro e dei recenti risultati scientifici pubblicati (circa 400):

Research on AI

1. Safe and Secure AI
2. Time-predictability in the execution of AI workload
3. Efficient Acceleration of Deep Neural Networks
4. 5G Support for AI offloading
5. Photonic Neural-Networks
6. Transient myolectric signal for the prosthetic control
7. The myokinetic control interface
8. Design and assessment of bio-inspired control algorithms for human robot collaboration
9. Design of a Liquid Handling Robot (LHR) with embedded AI algorithms
10. Improvement, development, and application of neural interfaces
11. Application of robotics to restore physiological impairment
12. Analysis of neural, muscular and kinematic data for clinical applications
13. Machine Learning in Industrial Process
14. Deep Learning in Industrial Applications
15. AI for metallurgic science
16. AI Data Analytics for industry
17. Multi Agent Systems for industrial applications
18. Robotics application for the Metallurgical sector
19. Deploy AI & Big Data in process industry
20. AI for industrial quality inspection
21. Vision based flexible robotic manipulation for industry
22. Robotics and AI augmented human assistance and surveillance for health and safety
23. Driverless and autonomous mobile systems
24. Smart mobile localization and tracking
25. Industrial Maintenance and Maintenance on Condition
26. Path planning algorithms for robotics disinfection
27. AI for intuitive control of exoskeleton based on motion intention detection and muscle synergies extraction
28. Ethorobotics as a novel translational neuroethological engineering approach to turn findings into outcomes within real-world healthcare contexts
29. Animal-robot interaction paradigm to face engineering and environmental challenges through sustainable strategies
30. Natural intelligence for bioinspired computing and eco-friendly ecosystem management methods
31. Novel Human-centered control approaches in Industry 4.0 context: special focus on welding process
32. AI and data science strategies for tactile sensing and augmenting haptic feedback with applications to bionic prostheses, healthcare technologies, collaborative robotics and industry 4.0

Research on Smart Materials

1. Integration of FBG sensors in robotics
2. Development of FBG sensors reading units
3. Electrostatic bellow muscle actuators
4. Dielectric elastomers transducers for actuation and energy harvesting
5. Electro adhesive gripper based on thin film dielectrics
6. Development of exoskeleton systems for teleoperation assistance
7. Soft Exosuit and Elastic joints
8. Integration of innovative sensors in mechanical systems
9. Design of wearable haptic devices
10. Testing different coatings to ensure stability and in vivo safety of NdFeB magnets implanted in muscles in a myokinetic control interface
11. Mechanics and Geometry of Smart Materials for Shape Morphing and Sensing
12. New class of biodegradable biohybrid agents with microorganism-based energy harvesting processes for environmental monitoring
13. Investigating locomotion, ultra-structures, and biochemical features of living organisms for robotics and biomedical implementations
14. Physical soft simulators and artificial organs
15. Soft continuous arms and grippers
16. Soft mechatronic technologies
17. Shape programming for smart materials and deployable structures
18. Design principles for bio-inspired microrobots: a two-way interaction between biology and engineering
19. Implantable, wearable and portable mechano-electrotransducers
20. Smart materials for endowing biomedical devices with enhanced properties
21. Wearable Robotics: design, development, and validation of novel exoskeletons and lower-limb prostheses