Senza categoria Archives - RAISE Innovation Ecosystem

Easy VR and AquaSense shine at SMARTcup Liguria

Posted on 15 November 202515 November 2025 by admin

On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Genoa hosted the final of SMARTcup Liguria 2025, the competition that celebrates entrepreneurial ideas and innovative projects promoted by Regione Liguria and managed by FILSE S.p.A., in collaboration with the University of Genoa and PNICube. The event transformed the BIC – Business Incubator into a vibrant hub of talent, creativity, and forward-looking vision.

Among the 51 competing projects, two teams – Easy VR and AquaSense – both from the RAISE Up mentorship program under Spoke 5 of RAISE, earned a spot among the top ten finalists. They stood out for their technical excellence, innovative strength, and ability to clearly convey the value of their ideas.

Easy VR also won over the audience, taking home the “Marco Paganuzzi” Public Award thanks to a captivating presentation that demonstrated how virtual reality can turn science into an engaging, interactive experience.

The competition once again showcased the dynamism of the Ligurian innovation ecosystem, capable of fostering new enterprises and supporting the growth of young innovators. During the final event, the eight selected projects took the stage before more than 200 spectators for an elevator pitch session — a concise and impactful presentation format designed to communicate the projects’ potential to investors and partners. The finalists included both established startups and experimental prototypes ready to enter the market.

A key addition to this year’s edition was the SMARTcup Academy, a traveling training program that reached all four Ligurian provinces. Through webinars, workshops, and mentorship sessions, aspiring entrepreneurs gained practical tools to craft effective business plans and sharpen their pitching skills, strengthening the link between research, innovation, and market application.

The initiative was supported by 76 partners – including companies, universities, incubators, trade associations, and local institutions – that collaborated with FILSE in promoting and developing the event. IREN confirmed its role as Main Partner, while Nova Connect, as Media Partner, contributed to content dissemination and awarded a special prize. Liguria Digitale also played a key role in highlighting the most significant moments of the day and showcasing participants’ work.

The SMARTcup final turned the BIC into a space where ideas take shape and creativity becomes action. The Easy VR and AquaSense teams perfectly embodied the spirit of RAISE, showing how mentorship, training, and networking can transform an idea into tangible results.

RAISE at the 2025 Genoa Science Festival

Posted on 14 November 202514 November 2025 by admin

For the third consecutive year, the 2025 Genoa Science Festival hosted the innovation ecosystem RAISE – Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment, which transformed the Genoa Blue District into its RAISE Village – a meeting point between science, technology, and creativity.

With over 3,000 participants in workshops, 500 visitors to the eight robotic and technological demos, 300 attendees at the five scientific aperitifs, 90 participants at the opening conference, 2,000 visitors to the immersive installation, and 300 spectators at the RAISEmotion performance, RAISE’s presence at the Festival reflected a growing public interest in applied research and its social impact.

The project, conceived and coordinated by the University of Genoa, the National Research Council (CNR), and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), and funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research under Investment 1.5 (M4C2) of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), presented a wide-ranging programme built around a clear idea: to show how robotics and artificial intelligence can become tools to improve people’s lives, support environmental sustainability, and strengthen social cohesion.

RAISE’s journey at the Festival opened in the Sala delle Donne at Palazzo Ducale with the conference “The RAISE Ecosystem and the Visions of Tomorrow – Emerging Technologies and Shared Knowledge to Improve the Present and Imagine the Future”, attended by 90 participants from the general public and the research community.

Introduced by Cristina Battaglia, RAISE Programme Manager, and Carlo Ferdeghini, Chair of the Genoa Science Festival Scientific Committee, the event featured Silvia Biasotti (CNR–IMATI, Spoke 1), Giulia Bodo (IIT – Rehab Technologies, Spoke 2), Elisa Costa (CNR–IAS, Spoke 3), Francesca Garaventa (CNR–IAS, Spoke 4), and Simona Tirasso (University of Genoa, Spoke 5), moderated by journalist Daniele Chieffi.

The speakers shared the challenges and results of the five Spokes that make up the RAISE ecosystem: from robotics for healthcare and rehabilitation to marine environmental protection, from port digitalisation to public administration training. This mosaic of expertise demonstrated how innovation can generate real impact, enhancing quality of life and territorial sustainability. The round table provided a concrete perspective on research prospects and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration among public institutions, universities, companies, and citizens.

On 29 October, the RAISEmotion performance brought together art, science, and technology in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio of Palazzo Ducale, in front of 300 spectators, blending emotion and knowledge into a single experience.

The event, introduced by Cristina Battaglia and presented by Marco Faimali (CNR–IAS, Communication Lead for Spoke 5), featured two complementary performances.

Another Beat, created by Lidia Giannuzzi and the company La Pozzanghera, explored the theme of the digital twin and human–machine interaction, turning the heartbeat into a symbol of dialogue between the human body and technology.

The Ocean Without Us, conceived by the collective Stellare in collaboration with artist Giuseppe La Spada, gave voice to the ocean, translating data on microplastics in the Ligurian Sea into sound frequencies and moving images.

On stage and behind the scenes, RAISE researchers – including Michela Chiappalone, Veronica Penza, and Francesca Garaventa – merged scientific expertise with artistic sensibility, showing how knowledge can be transformed into visual, sonic, and theatrical storytelling.

RAISEmotion captured the true essence of the ecosystem: a project where technology does not replace humanity but accompanies it, amplifying its capacity to understand, create, and share.

At the heart of the Genoa Blue District, the RAISE Village became a ten-day open laboratory, animated by a diverse audience of students, families, and curious visitors of all ages.

Over 3,000 people took part in six interactive workshops showcasing results from the five RAISE Spokes.

In the RAISE Living Lab, visitors explored wearable systems for inclusive mobility and immersive headsets for accessible learning. The HealthTech Lab presented smart glasses and sensor-equipped chairs for the healthcare of the future. With A New Ally for Marine Ecosystems, participants virtually dived into the Ligurian Sea, discovering how AI helps study the behaviour of small marine organisms. Science at Your Fingertips, curated by Outdoor Portofino, introduced Meteo-Tracker sensors that enable citizens to contribute to environmental data collection. Beyond the Body, Into the Future, curated by the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, demonstrated how virtual reality can improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Finally, with Digital Twins in Action, visitors discovered how robotics and AI support post-stroke rehabilitation through personalised digital models.

From 31 October to 2 November, over 500 visitors joined RAISE Action, three days entirely dedicated to robotic and technological demonstrations. Researchers and companies presented eight real-world applications, making tangible the outcomes of collaboration between academia and industry.

Among them, the FitFES system developed by FDG (Spoke 2) showcased how electrical stimulation can support motor recovery, while the R1 collaborative robot from IIT HSP (Spoke 2) demonstrated its ability to interact with people and objects, recognising gestures and movements. The ROSSINI Project (INFN, Spoke 4) presented a robot designed for remote inspections in nuclear safety contexts, while ESAOTE (Spoke 2) displayed its 3D Markerless MR/CT and US Image Registration system, integrating medical imaging and AI for advanced diagnostics. Innovation for the city and territory was also featured: ETT (Spoke 1) presented the Geolocated Data Visualization Portal, the Track Urban Accessibility (TUA) app, and Tactile Art, combining urban accessibility with sensory interaction. ETT (Spoke 3) also showcased the Digital Twin of the Sea, a 3D representation of the marine environment for sustainable resource management, while Aitek (Spoke 4) illustrated Port Gate Automation for smart logistics. Finally, the Circle Group (Spoke 4) presented technologies and services to optimise port logistics and reduce environmental impact.

Through these demonstrations, RAISE Action concluded the Village’s activities with strong public engagement, turning the Blue District into a shared space where scientific research became direct experience, accessible knowledge, and open dialogue between technology and society.

Each evening at sunset, the RAISE Village hosted over 300 people across five Scientific Aperitifs – informal yet thought-provoking conversations about ethics, technology, and the future.

Speakers included Antonio Sgorbissa (“Bring Out the Real Robots!”), Annalisa Barla (“The Ethical Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence”), Maura Casadio and Matteo Moro (“The Language of Human Movement”), Rosanna Turrisi (“Artificial Intelligence as an Ally of Medicine”), and Marco Faimali (“Welcome, Eco-Robotics!”). These encounters combined curiosity and reflection, showing the most accessible and human side of science.

The RAISE Village also hosted the immersive installation RAISE More than Human, which welcomed around 2,000 visitors into an experience merging art, research, and technology. The installation guided visitors through the RAISE ecosystem via robots, drones, sensors, 3D models, video games, and digital platforms. Images, sounds, and stories revealed the connections between artificial intelligence, natural ecosystems, and human communities, showing how scientific research can drive innovation and well-being.

With more than 6,000 participants across exhibitions, workshops, demos, performances, and meetings, RAISE’s participation in the 2025 Genoa Science Festival was a shared journey of growth.

The ecosystem demonstrated how collaboration among disciplines, institutions, and territories can generate concrete, accessible innovation. The RAISE Village offered an immersive and inclusive experience where science dialogued with art, technology, and society.

RAISE told the story of the future not as a distant horizon, but as a collective construction built on research, participation, and trust in human potential.

RAISE brings urban innovation to the Smart City Expo 2025

Posted on 13 November 202513 November 2025 by admin

From November 4 to 6, 2025, RAISE took part in the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s leading event dedicated to smart cities and urban innovation. The project’s participation featured a large exhibition booth animated by Spoke 1 and Spoke 4, which showcased solutions and technologies designed to support the sustainable transformation of urban ecosystems.

The RAISE space welcomed researchers and professionals from diverse fields of research and industry. Visitors explored six interactive demo areas where the teams from both Spokes presented concrete applications of robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies serving cities and citizens.

Spoke 1 presented tools for the digital representation of urban environments, predictive models for energy management, sustainable mobility solutions, and inclusive platforms designed to foster civic participation. Spoke 4 brought to Barcelona terrestrial, maritime, underwater, and aerial robots, along with AI systems developed to enhance port safety and improve the efficiency of cargo and passenger traffic management.

RAISE porta l’innovazione urbana allo Smart City Expo 2025 — Talk in collaboration with WillEasy

On November 5, RAISE organized a mini workshop on urban inclusion, engaging external stakeholders closely connected to the Spoke’s research themes. The meeting, titled “Technologies for Citizens: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve Well-being in Urban Context” and moderated by Michela Spagnuolo (CNR-IMATI), featured RAISE partners Davide Esposito (IIT-UVIP), Michela Mortara (CNR-IMATI), and Antonio Novellino (ETT), alongside external contributors Prof. Takehiko Nagumo (Smart City Institute, Yokohama, Japan), Dr. Giampiero Biamino (Municipality of Genoa), and William De Negro (WillEasy, Udine) with Glauco Miniussi (OVER.AI, Udine). The discussion explored the potential of emerging technologies to improve urban well-being, with a focus on accessibility, participation, and the development of qualitative and quantitative metrics for assessing well-being.

On November 6, the main stage hosted the official Break-out Session titled “Robotics and AI for Socio-Economic Empowerment: Urban Well-being and Smart Ports”, led by Michela Spagnuolo (CNR-IMATI) and Davide Giglio (UNIGE). The session highlighted RAISE’s contribution to building more inclusive and resilient cities with smart, sustainable ports, illustrating how AI and robotics can strengthen urban well-being while fostering new socio-economic opportunities.

During the event, 51 researchers from 16 research groups presented 14 technology demonstrations developed through collaboration between public institutions, universities, and industry. The presentations showcased the tangible impact of RAISE’s innovations – from territorial data analysis and sustainable planning to collaborative robots designed to improve safety and efficiency in urban spaces.
RAISE’s participation in Smart City Expo 2025 offered an important opportunity for international dialogue and networking, consolidating the project’s presence within the European innovation landscape. The days in Barcelona demonstrated the strength of an ecosystem capable of merging scientific research, emerging technologies, and social vision – with the shared goal of creating cities that are more accessible, participatory, and focused on people’s well-being.

The future of RAISE is already here: a journey through innovation, technology and science

Posted on 11 November 202511 November 2025 by admin

Imagine a world where scientific research takes shape before your eyes, where technology does not remain confined to laboratories but becomes a tangible tool to explore, protect, and understand the environment around us.

The video “The future of RAISE is already here” takes you on this journey, showcasing projects that combine innovation, participation, and real societal impact. Every scene tells stories of robots, sensors, drones, and artificial intelligence interacting with citizens, students, and researchers, turning science into a vivid and tangible experience.

Spoke 2 leads the way. In the laboratories of the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in Genoa, the AI-MOKa project observes everyday gestures, like making coffee, using wearable sensors and intelligent algorithms. Here, technology becomes an ally of people, a bridge between research and daily life, demonstrating how innovation can enrich routine activities and support the understanding of human behavior.

From the laboratory to the sea and the land, Spoke 3 brings technology into natural and cultural spaces. The adventure of Be.Ci.S (Outdoor Portofino) unfolds along the coast of Bogliasco, where citizens and enthusiasts, equipped with kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, become scientific explorers, collecting environmental data with easy-to-use tools. In Ligurian vineyards, specialized robots (IIT and Infosolution) move through the rows of vines, refining winter pruning and showing how precision agriculture can make farmers’ work more efficient and sustainable. Drones and robots (UniGe and Infosolution) also enter historic churches, like San Giovanni Battista in Aggio, to survey post-earthquake damage, opening new paths for the protection of cultural heritage. Beneath the sea surface, NEPTUNE™ explores the Portofino Marine Protected Area, collecting images and data that integrate in real time with digital platforms, turning every dive into a precise scientific mission.

Spoke 4 brings robotics closer to people. Spot (UniGe), the quadruped robot, explores ports with agility, creates three-dimensional maps, and allows operators to guide it remotely via virtual reality. At the Genoa Aquarium, humanoid robots Pepper (UniGe) and Alter-Ego (IIT) interact with visitors. They tell the story of coral reefs, unveil the secrets of cetaceans, spark curiosity, and invite audiences to explore interactive digital content, turning each visit into an immersive experience. The Testing Facility (UniGe) completes Spoke 4, offering a safe and versatile space to test drones, robots, and data collection systems, paving the way for future operational applications.

Finally, Spoke 5 opens the doors to active participation. BotBid (UniGe) engages high school students from Liguria and Sassari in seminars, experiments, and hands-on activities, demonstrating how scientific research can become a shared experience, spark curiosity, and promote ecological and digital transition.

The video portrays a dynamic ecosystem, where each project interacts with the others, and technology becomes a concrete experience—from the sea to the land, from laboratories to schools. RAISE does not merely imagine the future: it builds it today, turning science into action and giving everyone the chance to see, understand, and experience innovation firsthand.

RAISE More than human: an immersive journey into the RAISE ecosystem

Posted on 10 November 202510 November 2025 by admin

At the Genova Blue District, from October 23 to November 2, the immersive environment “RAISE More than human” welcomed visitors of the 2025 Science Festival, offering an emotional journey through the RAISE ecosystem.

The design concept “More than human” was chosen this year as the guiding theme of the immersive environment, to highlight an ecosystemic, complex, and holistic vision of RAISE. This vision connects living beings with both natural and urban ecosystems, integrating technology not only to serve humans but also to care for the environment and its diverse living species.

The visual flow included laboratory photos of marine biology, images of human heart diagnostics, 3D models of seabeds, ROV footage of gorgonian forests and wildlife from the Portofino Marine Protected Area, and more.

It is a multimedia experience combining robots, drones, sensors, 3D models, apps, video games, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence, as well as people and other living beings from RAISE’s natural ecosystems.

Through multimedia projections on four walls, visitors explored urban technologies, devices for personalized health monitoring, eco-robotics with 4D environmental surveys, robots and models for logistics, education, medical assistance, and tourist services.

The images were also complemented by data, highlighting RAISE’s tangible achievements.

The immersive environment provided visitors with a key to enter the world of RAISE and discover how institutions, research centers, universities, and Italian companies collaborate to generate positive change, shaping a new model of sustainable development.

The RAISE More than human projection also visually interacted with live demos—demonstrations by researchers on-site using robots, apps, sensors, AR glasses, headsets, and other RAISE technologies.

RAISE More than human is a multimedia synthesis of all that RAISE has accomplished to date across all its Spokes: a collaborative work made possible by the contribution of over 100 RAISE participants who shared content such as 3D models, photos, and diagnostic images. These materials were repurposed through innovative editing by ETT and an original script by ETT and CNR-IAS, specifically created for the immersive room at the Genova Blue District.

RAISE Action brought innovation to the Science Festival

Posted on 5 November 20255 November 2025 by admin

From October 31 to November 2, 2025, the Genova Blue District hosted RAISE Action, three days dedicated to exploring the most advanced technologies developed within the RAISE innovation ecosystem.

The event marked the conclusion of the RAISE Village journey at the 2025 Genoa Science Festival, transforming the Blue District into an interactive laboratory where the public, researchers, and companies shared experiences, ideas, and prototypes born from the collaboration between science and technology.

RAISE Action offered visitors an immersive experience in the world of robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. Researchers from universities, research institutes, and partner companies presented solutions designed to improve quality of life, make production processes more sustainable, and address today’s major environmental and social challenges.

During the demonstrations, visitors could observe mobile and collaborative robots, intelligent interfaces, advanced sensors, and artificial intelligence systems in action. Experts shared first-hand stories about how robots are created, the challenges faced during development, and the new opportunities opened up by emerging technologies. The experience combined scientific storytelling and direct experimentation, engaging audiences of all ages in an open dialogue between research and society.

The demos presented over the three days showcased the diversity and richness of the ongoing RAISE projects:
FitFES – presented by FDG (Spoke 2) – demonstrated an innovative functional electrical stimulation system for motor recovery.
R1 – Interaction with People and Objects – developed by IIT HSP (Spoke 2) – showed how robots can collaborate with humans in real environments, understanding gestures and movements.
The ROSSINI Project (Remotely-operated On-board Inspections for Special Nuclear Material) – curated by INFN (Spoke 4) – illustrated a robotic system for remote inspection in nuclear safety contexts.
3D Markerless MR/CT and US Image Registration – presented by ESAOTE (Spoke 2) – highlighted the integration of medical imaging and artificial intelligence for more accurate diagnostics.
Geolocated Data Visualization Portal, App “Track Urban Accessibility (TUA)”, and Tactile Art – presented by ETT (Spoke 1) – offered three complementary demonstrations, shown in sequence, dedicated to data visualization, urban accessibility, and the intersection of technology and artistic creativity.
Digital Twin of the Sea – developed by ETT (Spoke 3) – provided a three-dimensional and dynamic view of the marine environment to support sustainable resource management.
Port Gate Automation – by Aitek (Spoke 4) – presented intelligent automation solutions for port access control.
Technologies and Innovations in Port Services – illustrated by Circle Group (Spoke 4) – showcased tools designed to optimize logistics flows and improve maritime operations efficiency.

Through RAISE Action, scientific research met public curiosity, turning innovation into a tangible and accessible experience. The Blue District was filled with students, families, professionals, and enthusiasts, all united by the desire to understand how innovation can contribute to a more sustainable future.

With RAISE Action, RAISE’s journey at the Science Festival concluded in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and participation, confirming the ecosystem’s role as a driving force for research, creativity, and collaboration in the service of society.

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Artificial Intelligence as an ally of medicine

Posted on 3 November 20253 November 2025 by admin

On Friday, October 31, 2025, the Genova Blue District hosted a new event in the AperiRAISE series, the scientific aperitifs organized by RAISE as part of the 2025 Festival of Science.

The meeting, titled “Artificial Intelligence as an Ally of Medicine: How the Future of Health Is Changing”, offered the public an opportunity to explore a highly topical subject in a convivial atmosphere, where science became a topic of conversation — much like a chat among friends at a café.

The evening’s speaker was Rosanna Turrisi, researcher at the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Information Technologies (IMATI) of the CNR, who guided participants on a fascinating journey through data, algorithms, and scientific discovery. With clarity and enthusiasm, Turrisi showed how artificial intelligence is already transforming the way medicine observes, understands, and treats diseases.

The discussion began with a simple yet crucial question: What happens when artificial intelligence enters the hospital? As Turrisi explained, it is not about robots replacing doctors, but about tools that assist them in their most delicate decisions. AI can analyze vast amounts of clinical data, detect signals invisible to the human eye, and suggest diagnoses and prognoses with remarkable speed. Yet, alongside these opportunities come new responsibilities: safeguarding privacy, ensuring data quality, and preventing biases that could lead to inequality.

During the aperitif, Turrisi illustrated concrete examples of AI applications in medicine, focusing in particular on neuroscience. Today, algorithms can support the diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases by identifying complex patterns in brain images or clinical data that often escape human observation.

A particularly engaging moment was dedicated to generative AI, one of the most promising frontiers of research. With its ability to create synthetic medical images, this technology expands datasets while protecting patient privacy and improving the accuracy of predictive models – an invaluable resource for personalized medicine and clinical research.

The audience, numerous and engaged, followed the conversation with great interest, asking questions and sharing reflections on the role of AI in contemporary society. The informal setting of AperiRAISE fostered open dialogue and curiosity, turning a complex topic into an accessible and stimulating experience.

At the end of her talk, Rosanna Turrisi remarked: “These moments of exchange are always rewarding, especially when there’s such active participation and a friendly, stimulating atmosphere. I hope this discussion helped strengthen trust in the use of AI in medicine and encouraged a better understanding of the roles of both doctors and researchers.”

The evening concluded with applause and new questions, a sign of growing public interest in a subject that unites ethics, innovation, and the future of healthcare. Once again, AperiRAISE confirmed the strength of a format capable of taking science out of the laboratory and into everyday life – building bridges between research, technology, and community.

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Welcome, Ecorobotics! AI and robots at the service of the environment

Posted on 2 November 20252 November 2025 by admin

On November 1st, 2025, the Genova Blue District hosted the final event of AperiRAISE, the series of scientific aperitifs organized by RAISE as part of the 2025 Genoa Science Festival.

The meeting, titled “Welcome, Ecorobotics! AI and Robots at the Service of the Environment”, invited the audience to explore how artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming environmental research and the protection of our planet, in a convivial and informal setting.

The evening’s guest was Marco Faimali, Director of the Institute for Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment of the National Research Council (IAS-CNR) and coordinator of RAISE’s Spoke 3. With clarity and enthusiasm, Faimali explained how Ecorobotics was born — a new discipline that combines collaborative robotics and environmental sustainability to study, monitor, and protect the three great natural systems: air, water, and land.

Throughout the talk, Faimali showed how technology can become a true ally of the environment, capable of collecting data in real time, exploring remote ecosystems, and supporting scientific research in challenging contexts. From the Antarctic expedition, where Ecorobotics first took shape, to the latest projects developed within RAISE, the audience discovered innovative tools and methods that are redefining how we observe and understand our planet.

“We are living through a technological transition that is deeply reshaping the relationship between people, the environment, and knowledge,” Marco Faimali said. “The challenge of Ecorobotics arises from this transformation: bringing together advanced scientific expertise and ecological awareness to imagine a future where innovation also means caring for our planet and valuing its natural capital.”

During his speech, Faimali encouraged participants to see technology not as something distant or abstract, but as an integral part of a sustainable balance between progress and nature – a meeting point between artificial intelligence and ecological intelligence.

This new approach, he explained, lays the foundations for a culture of sustainability that no longer opposes humans and machines but fosters a harmonious collaboration in service of the common good.

The relaxed atmosphere of AperiRAISE created space for genuine exchange between the speaker and the audience. With a glass in hand, participants listened, asked questions, and reflected on how innovation can improve both quality of life and our relationship with the environment.

“It was wonderful to have the time to really talk to people,” Marco Faimali remarked at the end of the event. “Today, everything moves so fast, but here I could take the time to tell stories, listen, and build a connection. Doing science communication this way – while sharing a great aperitif – is the perfect format.”

The AperiRAISE series once again demonstrated the power of science communication when it meets conviviality: five evenings where complex topics became open and engaging conversations.

With “Welcome, Ecorobotics!”, RAISE concluded its journey at the Genoa Science Festival with a clear and inspiring message: technology can become a tool for care, awareness, and connection between people and the planet we share.

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The language of human movement: AI takes the stage at AperiRAISE

Posted on 2 November 20252 November 2025 by admin

On Thursday, October 30, 2025, the Genova Blue District hosted a new event in the AperiRAISE series – the scientific aperitifs organized by RAISE as part of the 2025 Genoa Science Festival.

The evening, titled “The Language of Human Movement: Decoding It with AI and Technology”, transformed the convivial atmosphere of an aperitif into an engaging conversation between research, innovation, and everyday curiosity.

A full audience gathered to explore how neuroscience, sports, rehabilitation, and artificial intelligence converge in the fascinating and ever-evolving field of human movement.

Leading the discussion were Maura Casadio, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Genoa, and Matteo Moro, researcher in Computer Science at the same university and member of the MaLGa Center.

The speakers explained how, for decades, studying human motion required complex laboratory setups – body markers, infrared cameras, and controlled environments. These tools offered precision, but also distanced research from the natural flow of everyday movement. Today, advances in computer vision and artificial intelligence have radically changed this paradigm. Simple videos — even those recorded with a smartphone – can now accurately reconstruct a person’s posture and motion, without invasive sensors or laboratory constraints.

During the evening, Casadio and Moro illustrated how these technologies have already entered clinical practice and applied research – from gait analysis to the assessment of preterm infants’ movements, and even to supporting doctors in distinguishing between epileptic seizures and parasomnias. Through concrete examples, they demonstrated how algorithms and data help us better understand the body and brain, improve rehabilitation pathways, and provide innovative tools to healthcare professionals.

The event offered participants a fresh way to experience science – with the openness and ease of a friendly conversation. Between a glass of wine and a question, the audience discovered how cutting-edge research can be shared in an accessible, yet rigorous and profoundly human way.

At the end of the evening, the speakers reflected: “We were delighted to take part in a scientific aperitif within the RAISE project, with a presentation on ‘The Language of Human Movement: Decoding It with AI and Technology.’ It was a special opportunity to share our research in an informal and engaging context, where the audience showed genuine curiosity and interest. The questions and reflections that emerged offered us new perspectives on the impact and future directions of our work. We are very happy to have had the chance to engage directly with people interested in artificial intelligence and human movement.”

The evening ended with warm applause and many thought-provoking insights – on how gesture, posture, and movement form a universal language that science is now able to decode, offering a deeper and more tangible vision of the relationship between humans and technology.

Once again, AperiRAISE proved the power of an approach that blends science communication, conviviality, and innovation. Bringing science out of laboratories and into everyday life means not only sharing results, but also building awareness and trust in the potential of technologies developed within our community.

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RAISEmotion brings art and science to the stage at the Festival of Science

Posted on 31 October 202531 October 2025 by admin

On Wednesday, October 29, in the majestic Sala del Maggior Consiglio of Palazzo Ducale, RAISEmotion transformed the heart of Genoa into a stage where research and creativity merged into a poetic and sensory experience.

The event, part of the 2025 Festival of Science programme, featured the performances The Ocean Without Us and Another Beat – two narratives intertwining artistic expression and scientific insight, showing how knowledge can take shape through music, imagery, and theatre.

The evening, introduced by Cristina Battaglia, Programme Manager of RAISE, and presented by Marco Faimali from CNR, leader of Spoke 3, guided the audience through a journey that blended emotion, research, and awareness.

Michela Chiappalone (IIT, University of Genoa and San Martino Hospital) and Veronica Penza (IIT, Spoke 2), together with Francesca Garaventa (CNR-IAS, Spoke 3), offered a scientific perspective on the works, highlighting both the complexity of the themes explored and the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The first performance, Another Beat, conceived and directed by Lidia Giannuzzi with the theatre company La Pozzanghera, shifted the focus from the sea to the human body, exploring the theme of the digital twin. On stage, the heartbeat became a metaphor for dialogue between humanity and technology: a composition of light, sound, and words staging the possibility of a future where medical innovation supports life without ever replacing it. Actors Domenico Baldini, Roberta De Donatis, Francesco Maria Giacobbe, and Martina Pittaluga embodied the tension between the real heart and its virtual counterpart, offering the audience an intimate and universal reflection on the meaning of being alive.

The second performance, The Ocean Without Us, created by the Stellare collective in collaboration with artist Giuseppe La Spada, led spectators on an immersive journey through the depths of the sea and the data that reveal its fragility. The sounds, generated by the Ocean software developed with Emilio Pozzolini, translated microplastic concentrations in the Ligurian Sea into frequencies and sound variations, giving voice to an ocean in transformation. Through fluid projections and electronic harmonies, the work evoked a sea that breathes, suffers, and regenerates—translating the research carried out within RAISE Spoke 3, dedicated to the protection and care of the environment, into a sensorial and poetic experience.

“Another Beat, another heartbeat—a digital twin heart on which to test, experiment, and try out new treatments. An attempt to give a theatrical voice to what research is already making possible. A great hope for us all, coming from science,” said Lidia Giannuzzi of La Pozzanghera Company.

Curator Maria Pina Usai, speaking about The Ocean Without Us, remarked: “The Ocean Without Us took shape from the encounter between two practices of inquiry—scientific and artistic—that, despite operating through different languages, share more than one might expect: methodological rigour, a drive toward the unknown, openness to the unexpected, and the evolutionary transmission of their outcomes. In both, the act of investigation implies the ability to interpret data and signs of reality through study and expertise, but also through sensitivity and intuition. From this perspective, art does not merely communicate science—it accompanies its journey of discovery, translating it into aesthetic and perceptive experience. Like in Alan Weisman’s novel that inspired it, the audiovisual performance The Ocean Without Us does not seek to provide answers but to raise questions, inviting the audience to an exercise of awareness and responsibility toward the world we are part of.*”

Both performances powerfully embodied the essence of RAISE the innovation ecosystem that fosters dialogue between science, technology, and society. During this special evening, art gave form to the questions of research, and research found a new voice through artistic sensitivity.

The audience responded with deep engagement, recognising in the shared language of RAISEmotion a unique space for reflection and wonder. The meeting between scientists and artists revealed how knowledge, when it opens itself to creativity, can become a collective experience and a vision of the future.