The encounter between the public and the robots at the RAISE Village
From October 24th to November 3rd, all the people who visited the RAISE Village, during the Science Festival, at Palazzo Ducale, had the opportunity to have a direct experience of interaction with a social robot, such as Pepper and R1, and then with other quadruped, tracked, and wheeled robots.
The first meeting took place in the porticoes of Palazzo Ducale, thanks to RAISE Cube, an immersive environment in which, through an engaging narration, children and adults were able to listen to the two robots, who told some of the results of RAISE. Pepper and R1 then invited visitors to continue their journey into the world of RAISE between smart cities, personalized health, environmental care with eco-robotics and the intelligent and sustainable port.
At the Ducale Cisterns, then, starting on day 29 with R1, the public was able not only to directly see the social robot that interprets a map and the objects placed in them, but also to ask questions directly, both to researches (Ettore Landini, Francesco Brand, Misael Gonzalez Almeida, IIT), and to the robot. The Pepper robot instead met numerous visitors on Saturday afternoon, November 1, in the portico, with researcher Lucrezia Grassi (UniGe). Both R1 and Pepper, social humanoid robots, are used in various types of activities underway in RAISE, such as dialogue with patients, both in hospital and domestic settings (Spoke 2), and in the smart city, for object-based educational laboratories (Spoke 1), and for reception at the port (Spoke 4).
The robotic demos continued in the following days, with the tracked robot, with UniGe and Infosolutions, used in the context of Spoke 3, for example for environmental analyses in an industrial context or in post-earthquake interventions in prestigious buildings or in agriculture, for winter pruning.
And then the visitors were able to see the quadruped robot Spot in action, with the researcher Zoe Betta, Marco Tabita, Ali Yousefi, who illustrated how the robot will be used in the context of port logistics, answered all the visitors’ curiosities about it, also showing during the demo how the robot can recognize the presence of people or objects within a map.
The visitors were also able to experience VR driving of a mini robot ROSbot, with Omotoye Adekoya (Spoke 4) which will also be used in port logistics, in teams of mini robots that can intervene in a team for activities related to logistics, safety and management of the port, in particular those activities that are more dangerous for humans and in areas that are difficult to reach.
Some robots were presented in corners NAO and Buddy with the researchers Alice Nardelli, Lorenza Saettone, Allegra Bixio, Giulia Berettieri, Francesca Corrao (Spoke 1).
An in-depth look at AI to give robots cultural competence was instead offered by Ariel Gjaci, Enzo Petrocco (Spoke 1 and 2).
A varied overview, therefore, which was greatly appreciated by the public of the RAISE Village, who participated by asking various questions to the researchers and also directly to the robots. And whoever wanted to try to hug Pepper or hold his hand, even the little ones, in the company of their parents.
A visitor, a retired teacher, visiting the Science Festival and the RAISE Village, commented with great satisfaction on having been able to speak directly with a robot for the first time.
Starting from the RAISE Cube up to the dialogue and the embrace with the robot in the cisterns and portico of the Ducale, the visitors were involved in new experiences and were able to learn more about and understand some of the results of RAISE and the activities in progress, thanks to the robotic demos and the meeting with the teams who are working in the ecosystem.
The people who contributed to the robotic demos and the presentation of the robots at the corners, with the activities and results of RAISE, are:
– Zoe Betta, Marco Tabita, Ali Yousefi (Spot, Spoke 4), Omotoye Adekoya (virtual reality teleoperation of teams of ROSbot wheeled robots, Spoke 4)
– Lucrezia Grassi (Pepper, Spoke 2 and 4)
– Alice Nardelli, Lorenza Saettone, Allegra Bixio, Giulia Berettieri, Francesca Corrao (NAO, Buddy, Spoke 1)
– Ariel Gjaci, Enzo Petrocco (Artificial Intelligence to give robots cultural competence, Spoke 1 and 2)
– Giovanni Mottola (drone demo, with ultimate goal of monitoring radioactivity in containers, Spoke 4)
We thank the professors responsible for these demos and corners with robots and research teams: Carmine Recchiuto (UniGe, Spoke 1, 2, 4) and Antonio Sgorbissa (UniGe, Spoke 2, 3, 4) and Gianni Vercelli (UniGe, Spoke 3).
