Projects
The Dynamic Legged Systems lab is currently engaged in several big projects to develop the platform and to improve it. The projects are both with government and European entities as well as big multinationals that invest in the platform and collaborate with the DLS lab. Below is an overview of all current project with link to the project details when available.
INAIL (2017-2020)
The TELEOPERAZIONE project, in collaboration with INAIL (“Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro” - National Institute for Insurance against Workplace Injuries, Italy) CUP J32F17000950005, is aimed at the development of a novel, collaborative teleoperation hardware and software system dedicated to operating in certain hazard-prone industries, reducing the risks to the workers’ safety and well-being. It will utilize, develop, and integrate advanced technologies in tele-locomotion, tele-manipulation, and human-machine interaction. The project seeks to build on the existing technological expertise and capabilities at the Department of Advanced Robotics (ADVR) of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) acquired through the successful, and continuing, implementation of high-technology projects in this field. The technical know-how from these earlier projects, including HyQ, WearHap, μRALP, and Walk-Man, shall contribute to the progress of the project towards an innovative and unique teleoperation system.
Vodafone 5G (2017-2019)
IIT is collaborating with Vodafone on several use cases for 5G experiments of which two are being worked on by the DLS lab. With this project Vodafone is able to demonstrate and test the effectiveness and power of the new Vodafone 5G network.
VINUM-ROBOT (2017-2022)
Although mechanization has lowered management costs and precision viticulture is shyly bursting, selective practices still require time-consuming manual operations. This project, namely VINUM-ROBOT (2017-2022) tackles the emerging challenge of the dramatic shortage in skilled labor and lower grape price using robotic solutions. Robots are a revolutionary upscaling in the Agri-Food sector for their precision and efficiency. The main goal of this project is to develop and test innovative robotic mobile manipulation technologies for grapevine winter pruning automation. Deep learning processes and pruning skills will be merged into a robot with advanced control capabilities. Multi-modal sensing system, in particular stereo vision, will be developed and integrated to a full torque controled robotic manipulator for grapevine recognition, manipulation, and pruning. This robotic arm will be mounted on a legged locomotion platform forming a mobile manipulator prototype that will be demonstrated in comparison with hand pruning in vineyard. Robot manipulation performance as pruning efficiency, locomotion as related to different terrain as well as vine growth features the following season will be assessed. Impacts of the project embrace the still unreached goal of selective and fully automation of winter pruning.