KITT4SME Lighthouse Demonstrator is presented to the LocarneseTech Association

5 companies in Ticino area are presented the studies conducted in the SUPSI Mini Factory. One of them was the KITT4SME Lighthouse Demonstrator in SUPSI, simulating how the collaborative robots and digital solutions are promising to help the companies in improving the productivity and the operator wellbeing.

About LocarneseTech

LocarneseTech is an association that aims to develop a platform for innovation in the fields of robotics, mechatronics, and Industry 4.0, creating the ideal framework conditions to support companies already active in the sector and to attract new ones. The aim is to foster the degree of innovation, facilitate access to skilled labour and lay the foundations for virtuous synergies with research institutes and the regional innovation system.

Visiting companies

During the visit took place on 14 September 2023, Several companies within the association (Baiardi Engineering, Georg Fischer, Ideal-tek, Interroll and Irsol) had the opportunity to meet with researchers of the Department of Innovative Technologies to learn more about the research activities.

KITT4SME Lighthouse Demonstrator

The companies have also found the chance to observe the collaborative robot studies, implemented under several projects with the collaboration of manufacturing companies. One of the studies was the KITT4SME lighthouse demonstrator, which demonstrates a collaborative robot helping the operator in a screwing operation.

The work cell contains a collaborative robot with a screwing head and a visual recognition system that identifies the workpiece, the screws and the operator’s hands. It is trained to assist the operator and take over part of the workload, speeding up the screwing process and increasing productivity. This system can be integrated with the Fatigue Monitoring System (FaMS), also developed by SUPSI, which is used to measure the operator’s physical stress and fatigue levels and adjust the cobot’s interventions accordingly.