Conferences

AI and robots at the service of the environment
We are witnessing a historical phase marking an unprecedented technological transition.
It is not just an evolution, but a revolution reshaping the relationships between people, environment, technology, and knowledge.
When the potential of robotics and AI meets the operational needs of studying and monitoring the environment, eco-robotics emerges: a new discipline aiming to innovate technological methods for studying, monitoring, and protecting our planet, imagining a future where technology is no longer distant, but integral to a sustainable balance between progress and nature, AI and ecological intelligence.
In this aperitif, we will explore how eco-robotics originated during a scientific expedition in Antarctica, delve into its objectives, and get a preview of the innovative technologies developed in the RAISE project.
More information about the conference and how to participate can be found at this link.

How it’s changing the future of health
What happens when artificial intelligence enters a hospital? Not robots replacing medical staff, but tools assisting in delicate decisions:
AI can analyze vast amounts of clinical data, detect signals invisible to the human eye, and suggest diagnoses and prognoses faster than ever.
In this aperitif, we will explore how AI models applied to medicine really work, examining their strengths as well as critical issues, because the promises come with important challenges: privacy protection, scarcity of high-quality training data, and the risk of introducing biases that could lead to discrimination.
This journey will take us into the heart of neuroscience to understand how these techniques can support diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Between innovation and ethical considerations, it will be an opportunity to reflect on how AI is changing – and can continue to change – the future of health.
More information about the conference and how to participate can be found at this link.

Decoding it with AI and technology
Discovering the language of human movement means entering a world where neuroscience, sports, rehabilitation, and technology intersect.
For decades, analyzing gestures required sophisticated cameras, body markers, and infrared systems: precise tools, but costly, complex, and far from natural daily movements.
Human gestures were thus observed in the lab, separated from real life. Today, everything has changed thanks to computer vision and artificial intelligence. Ordinary smartphone videos can reconstruct posture and movement with surprising accuracy – without invasive sensors or laboratory constraints.
Research becomes closer to real life, opening unexpected and powerful applications.
During the aperitif, we will see how these technologies are already applied in practice: from gait analysis to assessing preterm infants’ movements, and supporting doctors in differential diagnosis between epileptic seizures and parasomnias.
Real-world case studies will show how algorithms and data help understand the body and brain, improve rehabilitation, and offer innovative tools.
This new research frontier combines scientific rigor with accessibility, bringing advanced tools out of labs and into everyday life, transforming our understanding of movement into useful, practical, and fascinating knowledge.
More information about the conference and how to participate can be found at this link.

The other side of AI
Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize our world, but as AI systems become deeply integrated into our lives – deciding who can get a loan, diagnosing diseases, or influencing the news we read – crucial ethical questions emerge.
In this aperitif, we will address the profound, often invisible ethical challenges associated with the real-world implementation of AI.
We will explore how biases and distortions arise not only in data but also in the processes of annotation and representation, revealing the limitations of current techniques and showing how regulation can help address the problem.
More information about the conference and how to participate can be found at this link.

The possible paths of social robotics
For decades, worldwide, public and private resources have been invested in developing autonomous and intelligent robots: machines capable of assisting and keeping company to vulnerable people, providing information, and exploring environments for hazards.
However, much of the scientific community has been more attracted to complex theoretical questions and sophisticated prototypes – likely to impact only in the distant future – rather than designing more realistic robots that can work here and now and have a concrete societal impact.
During the aperitif, Antonio Sgorbissa will share his experience developing and using “simple but robust” social robots capable of providing immediate, practical support without constant supervision from specialized personnel ready to intervene at the first failure.
More information about the conference and how to participate can be found at this link.

Robotics and AI for better living
Roundtable with Silvia Biasotti, Giulia Bodo, Elisa Costa, Francesca Garaventa, and Simona Tirasso. Moderated by Daniele Chieffi.
Designing more welcoming and inclusive cities, effectively monitoring the environment, creating smart ports, and developing healthcare systems that truly improve people’s lives—this is RAISE, the Ligurian ecosystem that brings together universities, research centers, hospitals, and companies with a shared goal: to turn technology into concrete solutions for society.
This roundtable invites the public to explore the five key areas of a large innovation lab: inclusive and accessible cities; advanced healthcare and intelligent environments; eco-robotics for the protection of air, water, and soil; sustainable and digitalized ports; and initiatives for knowledge and technology transfer.
Each topic opens a scenario that closely touches our present while anticipating our future. It is not a distant tomorrow, but a collection of projects already in progress—designed to make a tangible impact on everyday life and to establish Liguria as an international benchmark.
Taking part in this conversation means discovering how science can engage with society, and how research, enterprise, and communities can grow together. It offers a window into a sustainable, intelligent, and above all human future—a future that is already taking shape today.
More information about the conference and how to participate can be found at this link.