The winners of the first edition of the EDUCATIONAL ROBOTICS OLYMPICS, promoted by the MIUR General Direction for School Curricula and National Education System Assessment and the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, received their wards yesterday at the Maifest in Parma at the inaugural evening of the SPS IPC Drives Italia Fair, an event dedicated to electrical and industrial automation technology (6:30 pm, Pavilion 4).
Students from 69 second-degree secondary schools participated in the challenge to create a robotic champion, a functional prototype that could compete in international robotics meets. The 56 prototypes selected by the scientific committee were showcased at the three-day RomeCup 2016 event that was held in Rome from March 16 to 18.
The first edition of the Olympics was won by "Ex-Robot", a project developed by students at IIS A. Volta in Pescara (Explorer category) with the following motivation: "an excellent example of integration between the school and the community through the development of a robot that can detect explosive devices hidden under motor vehicles. The project, which was developed in collaboration with the Comando Artificieri Carabinieri Abruzzo, brings together function and attention to detail with didactic implications that require technical and technological skills that must be acquired and applied in a lab.” The award – an on-line coupon worth 400 euro – was presented to Headmaster Maria Pia Lentino, Prof Renzo Delle Monache and student representative Roberto Samuel.
Second place was a tie between RobEAR (Robot Explorer Automatic Rescue) by IIS E. Morselli in Gela (Rescue category) and Autonomous Guenda Vall by IIS G. Vallauri in Fossano (Explorer category), both of which won an on-line coupon worth 300 euro.
“Emergency services and rescue is the mission of the device that moves around freely to check our houses, identify anomalies and alert emergency services. The idea is modern and functional and the programming is good.” This was the motivation with which the Sicilian school won the prize presented to Prof Salvatore Cacioppo and student representative Luca Oceana.
The delegation from Fossano included Professors Antonio Briatore and Alberto Garnero and students Giorgio Audrito, Alberto Bogetti, Giorgio Brero, Lorenzo Vassallo, Fabio Pairona, Matteo Gatto and Magnani Gianluca, who accepted the award presented with the following motivation: "Noteworthy technological application of a robotic vehicle that can move around independently and monitor the environment, recording a variety of data. The prototype is complete, well designed and aesthetically pleasant, as well as functional, and can identify dangers to mankind.”
Third place goes to Phoenix Soccer Robot, the football robot developed by IIS Pacinotti-Archimede in Rome. "All on the pitch with this robot that presents a good technological level, is fast and sturdy and can move around agilely. Some of the prototype parts were printed in 3D by the students.” The award - an on-line coupon worth 200 euro – was presented to Prof Rodolfo Falcioni and students Andrea Valeri and Emanuele Giacomini.
Two special mention awards were also presented. The first for "project didactics" went to Explorer Sphere (Explorer category), developed by IIS C. Anti in Villafranca di Verona. "The project reveals an accurate research on how to overcome the limits of a typical explorer robot explorer with innovative omnidirectional movement in any direction based on the principle of “rolling.” The award was presented to Prof Federico Beghini and students Martina Fochesato, Emeline Rinn, Francesca Endriko, Martino Lepri, Giulia Olivieri and Irene Troiani.
The special mention for "multidisciplinary integration" was assigned to Project AURAT. The three laws of IIS C. Facchinetti in Castellanza: "The many devices and actors involved in this project that unravels like a story of the three laws of robotics, proposes a good example of man-to-machine and machine-to-machine communication for the development of performances for children in hospitals.” The award was presented to Prof Loris Pagani and student representative Nicholas Colzani.
The awards were presented by Edvige Mastantuono, MIUR (General Direction for School Curricula and National Education System Assessment), Giovanni Legnani, Professor at the University of Brescia Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Vice-President of the Italian Association of Robotics and Automation (SIRI), Alfonso Molina, Scientific Director of Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Giorgio Metta, Director of the iCub facility and Deputy Scientific Director of the Italian Institute of Technology, and Carlo Marchisio, President of the SPS IPC Drives Italia Fair Scientific Committee.
