Thanks to progress in artificial intelligence and robotics, innovative solutions are emerging to support individuals with reduced mobility. However, a key challenge remains: developing products and devices that are increasingly technological, safe, and reliable, while also adhering to manufacturing models that prioritize environmental sustainability and ensure the safety of both workers and end users.
The REXASI-PRO project, in which the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) research group of the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI) is participating, aims to develop a new framework based on the paradigms of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence and Swarm Intelligence. This system will facilitate collaboration between heterogeneous robots—such as autonomous wheelchairs and drones—allowing them to coordinate their actions and navigate more effectively. By working together, they will be able to avoid collisions, obstacles, and other hazards far more efficiently than they could individually.
Recently, the research team simulated some decision support scenarios for safe crossing of roads in the presence of other vehicles. The experiment enabled the evaluation of safety benefits arising from the multi-agent integration of redundant and heterogeneous sensors—including computer vision-based systems—through information fusion techniques. Data from the various detectors were combined using dedicated algorithms, resulting in significantly greater accuracy and decision-making reliability compared to the use of individual sensors alone.
"The trial described is part of the broader research project, whose results will enable greater autonomy and safety for people with motor and sensory disabilities, constituting an important element of social inclusion and sustainability in future smart-cities," comments Prof. Francesco Flammini, head of the research group.
Il progetto, coordinato da Spindox Labs con la partecipazione del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), il centro di ricerca tedesco sull’intelligenza artificiale (DFKI), il King’s College di Londra e l’Università di Siviglia, è stato selezionato dalla comunità europea nell’ambito del programma Horizon Europe ed è finanziato nazionalmente dalla Segreteria di Stato per la formazione, la ricerca e l’innovazione (SEFRI).
The project, coordinated by Spindox Labs with the participation of the National Research Council (NRC), the German Artificial Intelligence Research Center (DFKI), King's College London and the University of Seville, was selected by the European community under the Horizon Europe program and is nationally funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).