Skip to main content

ERGONOMICS AND WORKERS RISK REDUCTION VIA HUMANOID ROBOTS AND WEARABLES

Implementing ambient intelligence and collaborative robotics for risk prevention in work environments.

THE PROJECT

ergoCub is a project that develops technologies to catalyze the necessary digital transformation for reducing the number of musculoskeletal diseases related to biomechanical risk in future workers. This objective is pursued by developing wearable technologies, humanoid robots, and artificial intelligence while monitoring the acceptability of these technologies.

APPLICATION SCENARIOS

HEALTHCARE

  • Remotely monitor the health of people in real time and improve rehabilitation processes;
  • Assist health workers.

INDUSTRIAL

  • Improve industrial processes by minimizing the risk of injury from musculoskeletal disorders;

  • Collaborative tasks with workers

OUR TOOLS

The goal of the project is to devise future wearable technologies and humanoid robots to maximise work ergonomy and technological acceptability of future industry and healthcare environments.

The aim of this project is to use robotics to prevent and reduce the psychophysical risk of workers. IIT and INAIL, the Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work, collaborate to achieve this result. INAIL is providing 5 million euros over the course of 3 years to design and build a new humanoid robot, combining it with our wearable technologies.

NEWS

  • DW DOCUMENTARY - Will humans love AI robots?
    08/2023
    In this robot-focused documentary, Ingolf Baur had the opportunity to experience our iFeel wearable technology firsthand, and our iCub3 robot became his robotic avatar!
  • NOOS - ALBERTO ANGELA
    06/2023
    We participated in the third episode of Noos, and our ergoCub was in the studio with Alberto Angela and its operator. The show was broadcast on RAI 1, the Italian national TV channel. In the episode, we demonstrated an experiment that we conducted with the robot in a real working envirorment.
  • THE CNN TALK ABOUT US
    06/2023
    In a CNN report, our project's goal was explained: we're using robotics and wearable tech to make workplaces safer and reduce risks for workers. We're striving to bring practical changes to how we prevent accidents and enhance worker safety across different industries. It's all about making the workplace a safer, better place for everyone.
  • ergoCub ON REUTERS
    06/2023
    Our participation at ICRA 2023 in London was a significant milestone for us. Following our involvement in the event, Reuters took notice of our work and decided to dedicate a news story to us, highlighting our innovative contributions in the field of robotics.
  • ICRA 2023 - LONDON
    05/2023
    The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) is one of the premier conferences covering advances in robotics. We attended the conference in London with our ergoCub and teleoperated it from Italy. Our operator in Genoa was able to participate in the conference through the robot!
  • MADE IN INAIL
    11/2022

    We took part at the MADE IN INAIL Forum 2022, where we talked about our joint projects with Inail. In this event the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella shakes hand with iCub3.

  • ANA Avatar XPRIZE Finals
    11/2022

    XPRIZE is the world’s leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. We partecipated at ANA Avatar XPRIZE with our iCub3, that was the first one on the ranking in the specific category of walking humanoids. Fourteenth on the total ranking.

  • AMAZON PRIME: "James May: our man in Italy"
    07/2022
    You can find us and iCub3 in the fifth episode of James May: our man in Italy, which features fantastic places around Italy. James May, the host, wore the iFeel suit developed by ergoCub for human monitoring. The series quickly rose to first place in England and fifth in Italy.
  • EPISODE OF CODICE ON NATIONAL TV
    07/2022

    We were on RAI 1, in an episode of Codice, a series that talks about advanced technology and visit research centers abroad and in Italy.

  • EUROPEAN ROBOTIC FORUM, Rotterdam
    06/2022

    We participated in the European Robotic Forum (EFR), the most influential event in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence in Europe. Three days of interactive workshops and events, where engineers, academics, entrepreneurs and investors gather to discover new trends and discoveries.

  • WEB MARKETING FESTIVAL: metaverse and Robotics for innovation in the health sector.
    06/2022
    Daniele Pucci, Head of Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence of the Italian Institute of Technology, and the iCub 3 robot were guest at at the WMF 2022. Touch Topics such as the fields of use of humanoid robots and avatar robots, controlled remotely by humans, are covered, with a particular focus on the health sector. The iCub 3 robot then shows the WMF audience what it is capable of, while remotely piloted by the IIT operator.
  • ITALIAN EMBASSY IN PARIS
    06/2022

    We were invited as guests representatives of Italian excellence in the Italian embassy in Paris where we brought part of the technologies developed in ergoCub: teleoperation e wearable technologies for risk assessment biomechanical. The event took place on the Italian Republic Day, in the presence of ambassadors and part of the Franco-Italian community.

  • SPINE 4.0: innovation for the prevention and treatment of spinal pathologies.
    04/2022

    An important contribution to the prevention of disorders can come from the development of wearable sensor and robotic technologies, as well as the development of advanced biological technologies. An interactive demonstration was held during the event with the Italian Health Minister and the humanoid robot iCub3, resulting from the collaboration between INAIL and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).

  • ANA Avatar XPRIZE SEMIFINALS
    03/2022

    XPRIZE is the world’s leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. We are partecipating at ANA Avatar XPRIZE with our iCub3, in November there will be the finals, the last stage of the competition, in Los Angeles.

  • International Architecture Exhibition in Venice
    03/2022
    While an operator with the iFeel suit and sensors was in Genoa, he managed to connect to our iCub3 in Venice, communicating and moving through him. We collaborated with an advertising studio to create a professional video of the event.
  • SIML: 83rd National Congress of Occupational Medicine
    09/2021

    We took part at this congress presenting our researches and mini demo.

  • With the ergoCub project by INAIL and IIT, robotics is at the service of prevention.
    06/2021

    "We will put into practice the teachings derived from Industry 4.0, such as the need to develop a robotic technology that we inform to favor the well-being of the worker, not only physical but also psychosocial" - explains Daniele Pucci, coordinator of Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence lab of IIT (old Dynamic Interaction Control).

  • INAIL present ergoCub project.
    01/2021

    Robotic technology to enhance workplace safety.

    Exploiting robotics to strengthen prevention and reduce the psychophysical risk of workers. This is the goal of the design and creation of new humanoids and wearable technologies conceived by Inail and IIT in the new ergoCub project.

    ergoCub
    HUMANOID ROBOT

    ergoCub is a humanoid robot endowed with embodied intelligence and designed for ergonomic interaction with humans. It is 150 cm tall and weighs 55.7 kg.

    iFeel

    The wearable technologies developed within the ergoCub project are aimed at monitoring workers with the goal of assessing and predicting biomechanical risk.

    Artificial Intelligence

    AI provides tools for interpreting data and endowing robots with collaborative intelligence as Motion Analysis, Risk Prediction, Navigation, Computer Vision, Motion Planning, Hardware Intelligence.

    Download our flyer here!

    ERGONOMICS AND RISK REDUCTION FOR FUTURE WORKERS

    "We give humanoid robots the ability to help and collaborate with humans."