Vittorio Solina is a Researcher at the Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering (DIMEG) of the University of Calabria, specializing in industrial systems simulation and digital twin technologies. His work spans Industry 4.0/5.0 applications, supply chain optimization, and human-robot collaboration. Affiliation: University of Calabria Academic Role: Researcher (Legge 240/10) Research Focus: Digital twins, simulation modeling, sustainable manufacturing His research emphasizes advanced simulation tools for decision support, including applications in Industry 4.0 , Smart Manufacturing , and Agri-Food Supply Chains . Recent work explores adaptive simulation optimization for Industry 5.0 and 5G-enabled robotics. Key publication trends include: (1) Digital twin integration for supply chain resilience (2024-2025), (2) Simulation automation methodologies (2025), and (3) Human-robot collaboration frameworks (2024).
Barbara Caputo is a Full Professor at Politecnico di Torino, leading the VANDAL Laboratory and directing the AI@PoliTo Interdepartmental Lab. She holds a double affiliation with the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and has held roles at Idiap-EPFL and Sapienza University. Her research focuses on AI, computer vision, domain adaptation, and federated learning. She contributes to national AI policy, including the Italian Strategy on AI and the National PhD on AI for Industry 4.0. She is an ERC Laureate and ELLIS Fellow, co-founding ELLIS society. Her work spans visual place recognition, action recognition, and cross-domain learning. Education: PhD in Computer Science from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (2005). Major roles include Rector’s Advisor on AI at PoliTo, Board Member of ELLIS, and coordinator of the AI & Industry 4.0 vertical in the National PhD program. Awards include ERC Laureate (2017), ELLIS Fellow (2019), and Inspiring Fifty Italy (2018). Her research emphasizes federated learning, domain adaptation, and AI ethics. Recent articles explore domain generalization, resource-efficient federated models, and AI-environment interactions. She collaborates with institutions like MUR, CNR, and the European Commission on AI policy and tech initiatives.
Michele Zorzi is a Professor of Telecommunications at the School of Engineering, University of Padova, Italy, where he has held a faculty position since 2003. He leads the SIGNET (Signal processing and Networking) Research Group, focusing on cutting-edge wireless networking challenges including mmWave communications and underwater networks. His extensive publication record exceeds 600 papers in top-tier journals and conferences, reflecting significant contributions to the field through both theoretical and experimental work. He received his Laurea Degree (1990) and Ph.D. (1994) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Padova. Prior academic appointments include Politecnico di Milano (1993-1996), University of California San Diego (1995-1998), and University of Ferrara (1998-2003), where he progressed from Associate Professor to full Professor. His educational trajectory demonstrates deep roots in Italian academia with international exposure. Professor Zorzi's research spans wireless communications and networking, with current emphases on mmWave networking for vehicular systems, underwater acoustic/optical communications, non-terrestrial networks, and AI-driven networking solutions. His group conducts experimental validations including at-sea trials for underwater systems and testbeds for vehicular networks. Key projects include PRATA for predictive QoS in autonomous driving and IoT-based environmental monitoring of the Venice Lagoon, demonstrating practical applications of theoretical work. Analysis of his 2022-2025 publications reveals strong trends in applying artificial intelligence to networking challenges across diverse environments. There is significant emphasis on vehicular networks (predictive QoS, teleoperated driving), underwater systems (acoustic/optical communications, AUV swarms), and satellite networks (Starlink integration, NTN security). Experimental validation in real-world scenarios like the Venice Lagoon monitoring project and underwater sea trials characterizes his applied research approach. His scientific accolades include: IEEE Fellow (2007) IEEE Communications Society Best Tutorial Paper Award (2008, 2019) Stephen O. Rice Best Paper Award (2018) Multiple best paper awards at IEEE conferences (2005-2020) As principal investigator for numerous European and US research projects plus 20+ industry-funded initiatives, Professor Zorzi has mentored over 35 PhD students and post-docs. Graduates now hold prominent positions at institutions including Stanford, UCSD, CTTC, and Huawei. His SIGNET group maintains active international collaborations and contributes to open-source networking tools via GitHub, demonstrating commitment to community engagement. The SIGNET Research Group, housed within the Department of Information Engineering, operates specialized experimental facilities for mmWave and underwater communications. Current initiatives include AI-based predictive QoS frameworks for vehicular networks, underwater optical communication systems using ultraviolet light, and large-scale IoT deployments for environmental monitoring. The group's GitHub presence indicates strong open-science practices, while recent sea trials confirm hands-on experimental capabilities beyond theoretical work.
Oswald Lanz is a tenured full professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano , leading the Visual Computing Lab . He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and a Mathematics degree from the University of Trento. Prior to his current role, he was a researcher and head of research at FBK Trento. He is an endowed professor collaborating with Covision Lab , an AI hub in Bressanone, and coordinates the board of professors for the PhD in Computer Science program since 2025. His research focuses on Computer Vision, Deep Learning, and Video Analytics , with applications in sports technology, medical imaging, and industrial automation. Key achievements include the Amazon AWS Machine Learning Research Award (2020) , ACM Multimedia Best Paper (2015) , and Best Student Paper at ICIAP (2007) . He co-organized the ELLIS-VISMAC Winter School (2025) and chaired ICIAP 2019 . His work spans novel view synthesis, action recognition, and anomaly detection, supported by patents in video tracking and detection. He teaches courses like Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence in undergraduate and graduate programs. Recent projects such as 5VREAL integrate 5G, edge computing, and AI for sports analysis. His collaborations bridge academia and industry, exemplified by his role in Covision Lab and multidisciplinary initiatives like DSS4LCO for food supply chains. Lanz’s publications emphasize spatiotemporal modeling, neural architecture search, and hybrid machine vision systems.
Luca Iocchi is a Full Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, where he teaches in the Master in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics program. He is affiliated with the Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering and the Faculty of Engineering of Information, Computer Science and Statistics. Iocchi serves as an Associate Editor for Artificial Intelligence Journal and has been the scientific coordinator of Spoke of PNRR project FAIR (Future AI Research). His educational background includes: Master in Engineering in Computer Science (Laurea in Ingegneria Informatica) cum Laude, Sapienza Università di Roma, 1995 PhD in Engineering in Computer Science (Dottorato in Ingegneria Informatica), Sapienza Università di Roma, 1999 Professor Iocchi's research focuses on cognitive robotics, task planning, multi-robot coordination, robot perception, robot learning, human-robot interaction, and social robotics. His work has significant applications in security, surveillance, and environmental monitoring. He has published over 200 referred papers with an h-index of 46 (Google Scholar). His research bridges theoretical AI with practical robotic systems operating in real-world environments, with a particular emphasis on developing intelligent systems that can interact effectively with humans. His recent publications show a strong trend toward multi-agent reinforcement learning, trust modeling in human-AI teams, UAV coordination, and planning systems. There's a clear focus on making robotic systems more reliable, efficient, and capable of operating in complex real-world scenarios like healthcare facilities and smart cities. His work increasingly integrates formal planning approaches with machine learning techniques. Professor Iocchi has received numerous scientific awards: 1999 Top Paper Award WebNet'99 2006 Best Paper Award RoboCup 2006 2008 Best Robotics Demo Award AAMAS 2008 2014 Best Paper Award For Engineering Contribution RoboCup 2014 2017 RoboCup@Home SSPL 2017 - 3rd place 2018 Canada-Italy Innovation Award 2019 Best Paper Award For Engineering Contribution RoboCup 2019 As an academic advisor, Iocchi has directed the PhD Program in Engineering in Computer Science from 2020 to 2023. He has been Principal Investigator for numerous research projects including SciRoc (European Robotics League), AI4EU (European AI project), BUBBLES, AIPlan4EU, ROSITA, Trust Your Agents, and FAIR. His research has been supported by EU H2020 programs, national grants, and industry collaborations, demonstrating strong connections between academia and practical applications. Professor Iocchi is actively involved with the Cognitive Cooperating Robots Lab (LabRoCoCo) and is a key member of the RoboCup Federation, having served as Vice-President from 2019 to 2024. He has played a significant role in benchmarking domestic service robots through RoboCup@Home and the European Robotics League Service Robots (ERL-SR), which he helped establish. His leadership in organizing international scientific robot competitions has been instrumental in advancing the field of service robotics.
Giulia Giordano is a Full Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Trento, Italy, where she leads the Dynamical Networks and Systems Biology research group. She also holds a dual appointment as Visiting Professor and Delft Technology Fellow at the Delft Center for Systems and Control, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. Her career includes previous positions as Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology (2017-2019), Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Lund University, Sweden (2016-2017), and Research Fellow at the University of Udine, Italy (2016). Giulia earned her Ph.D. in Industrial and Information Engineering: Automation (Excellent) from the University of Udine with a thesis titled "Structural Analysis and Control of Dynamical Networks." She completed her M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (both Summa cum laude) at the same institution. She also undertook research visits at Caltech (2012) as a SURF Fellow and at the University of Stuttgart (2015) as a DAAD Research Scholar. Her primary research focuses on the analysis and control of dynamical networks with applications in systems biology, mathematical ecology, and mathematical epidemiology. She develops mathematical frameworks that bridge control theory, network theory, and dynamical systems to address complex problems in biological systems. Her recent work spans epidemic modeling, opinion dynamics, biochemical networks, and neurological disorders, with a particular emphasis on structural analysis of networked systems. She employs both theoretical and computational approaches to understand system behavior under uncertainty. Giulia's publications reveal a strong interdisciplinary focus, spanning from theoretical control systems to practical applications in epidemiology and biology. Her recent work shows increasing emphasis on epidemic modeling (particularly related to mpox and SARS-CoV-2), network synchronization, and the application of control theory to biological phenomena like fibromyalgia pathogenesis and opinion formation. Many of her papers appear in top-tier control journals including Automatica and IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. 2024: Outstanding Service as Associate Editor of IEEE Control Systems Letters 2021: SIAM Activity Group on Control and Systems Theory Prize 2020: Outstanding Reviewer, Annals of Internal Medicine 2017: NAHS Best Paper Prize and EECI PhD Award 2016: Outstanding TAC Reviewer, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control Giulia actively mentors students and postdoctoral researchers, currently supervising five postdoctoral researchers and two Ph.D. students at the University of Trento. She has advised numerous M.Sc. and B.Sc. students on topics ranging from bio-inspired modeling to optimal control of epidemic systems. Her research is supported by competitive grants including the ERC Starting Grant INSPIRE (Integrated Structural and Probabilistic Approaches for Biological and Epidemiological Systems). She serves as Associate Editor for IEEE Control Systems Letters and Automatica, and is a Senior Member of IEEE and the Control Systems Society. Giulia leads the Dynamical Networks and Systems Biology research group at the University of Trento, which maintains strong international collaborations across Europe and North America. The group's work combines theoretical advances in control theory with practical applications to pressing problems in public health and biological systems, demonstrating the power of mathematical approaches to understanding complex phenomena in the life sciences.
Luca Sebastiani is a Full Professor in Horticultural Sciences (AGR/03) at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, Italy, since 2014. He currently coordinates the PhD Course in AgroBioSciences and has previously served as Director of the Institute of Life Sciences (2016-2021). His academic career includes roles as Associate Professor (2002-2014) and Assistant Professor (1998-2002) at the same institution. PhD in Plant Biology from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (1996) MSc in Agricultural Sciences from University of Pisa (cum laude, 1991) Postdoctoral research in agricultural biotechnology (1996-1998) Research Interests: Focus on plant-environment interactions, particularly abiotic and biotic stress responses in crops. Key areas include: Physiological and molecular responses to climate change stressors Nutraceutical enhancement of food crops Plant germplasm conservation using molecular markers Agriculture 4.0 integrating AI, IoT, and robotics Phytoremediation using poplar and Brassica species Scientific Contributions: His work bridges molecular mechanisms (aquaporin function, heavy metal transport) with ecosystem-level applications (precision irrigation, contaminant phytoremediation). Recent publications emphasize genome sequencing, stress tolerance modeling, and nutraceutical food development. ISHS Medal for SapFlow Workshop organization (2011) Giovanni Spitali Foundation Award for PhD dissertation (1998) Collaborations: Extensive international collaborations with institutions like Beijing Forestry University, Comenius University, and Purdue University. Currently supervises projects in plant phenotyping, omics technologies, and sustainable crop management.
Marilena Vendittelli is a Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, affiliated with the Robotics group. Her research spans control systems, biomedical robotics, motion planning, and autonomous systems. Research Areas: Control systems for robotics and nonholonomic systems Biomedical applications (hyperthermia therapy, needle insertion) UAV navigation and obstacle avoidance Haptics and human-robot interaction Adaptive estimation algorithms Recent Publications focus on adaptive control of bio-heat equations, safe UAV motion planning, soft robotics actuation, and haptic feedback in medical procedures.
Eleonora Vacca is a PhD student and Research Fellow in the Department of Automatic Control and Computer Science (DAUIN) at the Polytechnic University of Turin. She holds a B.S. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Palermo (2018) and an M.S. in Electronic Engineering-Embedded Systems from Politecnico di Torino (2021). Her research focuses on digital hardware design, reliability engineering, reconfigurable devices, and AI applications in aerospace and safety-critical systems. She is a member of the Aerospace and Safety Computing Lab and the CAD - Electronic CAD & Reliability Group (DAUIN). Her work addresses challenges such as radiation effects mitigation in space missions, fault-tolerant AI accelerators, and real-time anomaly detection in satellite telemetry. She has contributed to projects like the RAMSES CubeSat-1 Development (2025-2026), funded by commercial contracts. In 2024, she won the Best Student Paper Award at the NEWCAS Conference for her research on radiation effects in space missions. Vacca collaborates on teaching, including assisting in the course 'Electronic Calculators' for Computer Engineering students. Her recent publications explore AI resilience in RISC-V ecosystems, radiation environment analysis for space missions, and gesture recognition systems for smart cities. She actively contributes to conferences such as the ACM International Conference on Computing Frontiers and the IEEE International Smart Cities Conference.
Daniele Loiacono is an Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano's Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering (DEIB), affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab (AIRLab). His research focuses on interdisciplinary applications of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning in medical imaging, radiation therapy, and procedural content generation for games. He leads projects in synthetic image generation for radiotherapy quality assurance, automated treatment planning, and bias analysis in medical AI systems. Key research areas include medical image synthesis using GANs, radiation therapy optimization, and algorithmic game design. His contributions span clinical applications such as total marrow irradiation (TMI) planning and lymph-node segmentation, alongside innovations in shader generation and interactive evolutionary tools for game development. Loiacono collaborates on multi-center studies to validate AI-driven workflows in healthcare and has pioneered methods combining lean Six Sigma with machine learning for treatment process improvement. His work bridges clinical medicine and computer science, addressing challenges in radiation oncology, anatomical imaging, and procedural content automation. The AIRLab serves as a hub for his research, integrating AI advancements into real-world medical and engineering solutions.
Luigi De Russis is an Associate Professor at the Department of Control and Computer Engineering (DAUIN) within Politecnico di Torino . He serves as Deputy Director of DAUIN and is a member of the PIC4SeR (PoliTO Interdepartmental Centre for Service Robotics). His academic roles focus on Human-Computer Interaction , Digital Wellbeing , and Artificial Intelligence applications. Research interests: Accessibility, Conversational agents, Developers tools, Digital wellbeing, Intelligent user interfaces, Internet of Things Teaching: Courses in Human-AI Interaction, Web Applications, and Computer Vision at undergraduate and graduate levels Leadership: Vice-President of ACM SIGCHI (2024-), Executive Committee member (2021-2024) His research explores: Digital wellbeing education for teens through gamified systems AI-assisted UI design tools Smart home interaction via multimodal commands End-user development for self-control technologies Integration of accessibility guidelines in AI systems Recent article trends show a focus on generative AI for interface design, attention-capturing heuristics, and educational systems for step-by-step learning. He has received the Most Influential Paper Award (2024) and Best Late Breaking Results Award (2025) from ACM SIGCHI. Scientific awards: Award of Scientific Excellence, University of Salamanca (2011) Most Influential Paper Award, International Conference on Intelligent Environments (2024) Best Late Breaking Results Paper Award, ACM SIGCHI Symposium (2025) As advisor, he supervises PhD students in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Engineering , focusing on topics like user-centered AI, generative models, and digital self-control interfaces. He leads the ELITE research group and contributes to commercial projects including TEIA (AI tourism) and MAPP (interactive museums).
Secil Ugur Yavuz is a Professor at the Faculty of Design and Arts, Department of Design, at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. Her academic work spans eco-social design, research through design, and tangible human-technology interactions, with a particular focus on sustainable materials and collective making practices. She teaches courses including Design 3 for the Master in Eco-social Design and doctoral programs in Experimental Research through Design, Art and Technologies. Professor Yavuz's research explores the intersection of analog and digital through tangible human-technology interactions, with significant contributions to sustainable material systems. Her FERAL WOOL project investigates ecological and cultural dimensions of wool, while her work with biomaterials like microbial cellulose and open-source bioreactors addresses circular production systems. She employs embodied and speculative approaches to examine microplastic emissions, children's nature engagement through tools like TREESENSE, and social play with interactive toys. Her recent publications reveal a strong thematic focus on material culture, sustainability, and human-centered design across multiple scales. The research demonstrates consistent exploration of how digital and physical realms interact to create meaningful user experiences while addressing ecological challenges. Key trends include the use of embodied interaction methods, speculative design for cultural critique, and co-creative processes that bridge technological innovation with social and environmental responsibility. Yavuz leads the Design Friction Lab, which investigates the philosophical foundations of design through customizable interfaces and DIY approaches. Her work with doctoral students in Experimental Research through Design emphasizes reshaping technologies through collective making processes. The FERAL WOOL research project represents a significant current initiative exploring sustainable textile futures through both ecological and cultural lenses.
Michael Haller is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, where he serves as founder and director of the Media Interaction Lab. Based at NOI Techpark, his work focuses on next-generation human-computer interfaces, leading a team of over 10 researchers and students in developing innovative interaction technologies for automotive and wearable applications. He earned his Dipl.-Ing. (1997), Dr. techn. (2001), and Habilitation (2007) degrees from Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria. Haller's research centers on Human-Computer Interaction with specialized expertise in Smart Textile Interfaces, Physical Prototyping, and Ubiquitous Computing. His lab pioneers user-centered design of next-generation interfaces through industry collaborations with BMW, KTM, SEFAR, and Tratter Engineering. Current work emphasizes sustainable materials for flexible sensors, touchless interaction, and reducing plastic components in automotive interfaces while maintaining ergonomic functionality. His 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a clear trajectory toward sustainable sensor technologies, particularly biodegradable substrates (wood, animal-based, stone, gelatin) for temperature and pressure sensing. These works bridge materials science with HCI, targeting automotive interfaces, health monitoring, and eco-fashion through textile-based solutions that prioritize environmental sustainability without sacrificing performance. His scientific accolades include: Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship Award Google Research Award Europrix Top Talent Award Best ACM SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies Award Microsoft Imagine Cup 7 Best Paper and Honorable Mention Awards at ACM CHI and ACM UIST Haller directs major research projects including SmartCover (2024-2026) for developing smart laminated dashboards that replace plastic components with gesture-based textile interfaces, and iPlayground (2024-2026) establishing an industrial-scale smart textile lab. He mentors researchers in prototyping and empirical evaluation, with industry grants supporting the development of washable touchless fabrics and next-generation vehicle interfaces. His work bridges academic research and commercial product development through direct industry partnerships. The Media Interaction Lab operates from NOI Techpark with industrial knitting/sewing machines, confocal microscopes for surface analysis, and a collaborative Idea Space for rapid prototyping. Current infrastructure enables development of warp-knitted smart textiles for automotive consoles and sustainable fashion applications, focusing on reducing plastic waste while creating intuitive touchless interaction experiences through magnetoresistive and inductive sensing technologies.
Maurizio MUZZUPAPPA is a Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering (University of Calabria) since 2018. His roles include Rector's Delegate for Technology Transfer, Academic Delegate for Education at DIMEG, and Head of the Physical Prototyping Laboratory at the MaTeRiA Center (UNICAL-CNISM collaboration). He supervises the Unical Racing Team in Formula SAE competitions and co-founded three university spin-offs: 3DResearch, Tech4Sea, and Q-BOT. As Scientific Director of projects like TECH4YOU (climate change adaptation technologies) and GROWN IN THE BLUE (Mediterranean reef conservation), he integrates research in industrial design, augmented reality, and underwater cultural heritage. He has authored over 200 publications (h-index 27) and holds 10 patents. His teaching includes Tools and Methods for Industrial Design and Formula SAE LAB . His research focuses on: Industrial design methodologies with parametric and sustainable approaches 3D prototyping and additive manufacturing User-Centered Design for product ergonomics Virtual/Augmented Reality applications in engineering and cultural heritage Underwater robotics and artifact restoration Recent publications highlight trends in AR for industrial maintenance, generative design tools, and mechatronic solutions for underwater heritage. He has supervised over 300 theses and 10 Ph.D. students while leading technology transfer initiatives.
Giuseppe Bruno Averta is a Fixed-term Researcher at the Department of Control and Computer Science (DAUIN), Polytechnic University of Turin, and a member of the Interdepartmental Center SmartData@PoliTO - Big Data and Data Science Laboratory. He is affiliated with the College of Computer, Film and Mechatronics Engineering and contributes to national and international research in artificial intelligence and robotics. Averta has held a Visiting Researcher position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from January to June 2019. His research interests include Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Robotics, Neural Architecture Search, Egocentric Vision, Embodied Intelligence (Edge/Tiny ML), and Human-Robot Collaboration . His work is aligned with ERC sectors in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics, and contributes to UN SDGs such as Good Health and Well-being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, and Responsible Consumption and Production. The recent publication trends highlight his focus on vision-language models (e.g., CLIP), egocentric action recognition, efficient neural architectures (e.g., BiSeNet, MaskFormer), and robust deep learning. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical robotics applications, including grasping and manipulation. Scientific Awards and Recognitions: Georges Giralt PhD Award (euRobotics AISBL, 2021) Wiley Best Reviewer (Wiley, Italy, 2021) Best Paper Award, ICUMT 2015 (2017) Fellow, ELLIS Network of Excellence (2022–) Fellow, DAAD AInet (2022–) DAAD AInet Fellowship Advising and Grants : Averta supervises multiple PhD students in the Artificial Intelligence and Computer and Systems Engineering doctoral programs at Politecnico di Torino. He is involved in teaching at both the master’s and doctoral levels, including courses on Robot Learning and Machine Learning and Deep Learning. He is also a co-inventor on a national and international patent for a method and algorithm for the automatic design of neural networks through machine learning, indicating active research funding and innovation. Labs and Research Groups : He is a member of the SmartData@PoliTO center and contributes to research in the VANDAL PoliTO lab (as indicated by his student Davide Buoso). His work is deeply integrated with teams working on egocentric vision, embodied AI, and neural architecture search.
