Stefano Baraldo
Between Mathematics and Robotics: Designing Collaborative Technologies
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In his work at the Automation, Robotics and Machines (ARM) Laboratory of the Department of Innovative Technologies, Stefano Baraldo develops technologies that foster increasingly natural, effective, and safe collaboration between people and robots in industrial environments. Through an approach that combines mathematical modelling, robotics, and intelligent systems, his research contributes to shaping production processes in which technology is concretely at the service of people.
Where do you come from, what did you study, and what are you currently working on?
I come from Novara, Italy, and I studied Mathematical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, where I also completed a PhD. During my studies, I mainly focused on applied statistics, although today what I studied would probably be called “data science.” After my PhD, however, I worked for three years in industrial automation companies, where I started working in robotics. This experience allowed me, in 2016, to join SUPSI, at the Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production (ISTePS) within the DTI, where I apply my expertise in mathematical modelling both to optimize manufacturing processes, such as additive manufacturing, and to make robots effective assistants for workers.
What or who inspired you to pursue a career in research, and why this particular field?
I have always been passionate about using mathematics to model and solve real-world problems. Robotics provides countless opportunities to tackle challenges of this kind, from finding optimal paths that ensure both speed and precision, to translating verbal instructions into operational programs, or enabling robots to learn quickly from human demonstrations.
What topics does your research focus on, and what excites you most about your work?
My current research mainly focuses on developing technologies that enable workers to receive support from intelligent yet safe robots. To achieve this, I work together with the Automation, robotics and machines laboratory on a range of functionalities, including cognitive load detection, learning from demonstrations, and natural language processing. What I find most exciting, however, is seeing our ideas come to life as they move from paper, to bits, and finally into physical systems. Looking ahead, I would like to make collaborative robots increasingly accessible, turning them into a technology as commonplace as personal computers are today.
What is it like working in an environment such as SUPSI? How do you find a balance between work and personal life?
SUPSI, and in particular the research unit where I work, the ARM Laboratory, provide a stimulating environment where collaboration allows us to tackle the challenges of research together every day. At the same time, maintaining a good balance between professional responsibilities and personal life is very important to me. As a father, I am committed to contributing to my family’s wellbeing. However, for both parents to have equal opportunities to balance work and home life, individual commitment alone is not enough: society also needs to support this model. Fortunately, SUPSI offers a good degree of flexibility in the organization of work.