Tens of thousands of robotics aficionados waited patiently for the arrival of the new piece that will bring life to the I-Droid01, the first humanoid robot you can build at home.
The innovative new product is the fruit of an innovative new collaboration between Robo Tech (spin-off company of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna) and De Agostini editorial group.
Sixty percent of each robot is built at home.
They have already been sold in Japan, which allowed Robo Tech to win a prestigious international prize, the Fifth EURON/EUnited Robotics Tech-Transfer Award, given by the European Robotics Network of Excellence EURON (www.euron.org/) in Prague.
The prize was given to Robo Tech as the European business that created the best ''technologic transfer'' project.
Robo Tech's unique status as a spin-off of the school and its combined scientific and commercial nature, helped it beat out the highly qualified competition.
Robo Tech responded perfectly to the jury's requisites, which were to create a circuit between robotics research and commercial success.
The award was assigned by a jury made up of seven experts from Germany, Switzerland and Belgium, with notable experience in the robotics research sector.
Finalists were invited to present their company and ''technologic transfer'' project to the EURON plenary council in front of over 250 members of the European robotics community, in addition to Japanese and Korean researchers.
Finalists (a Swiss and a Swedish company in addition to Robo Tech) presented their cases and were questioned about the content of their projects, their industrial and market organization, and perspectives for growth.
Robo Tech was represented by Nicola Canelli and Giancarlo Teti in Prague.
Canelli's presentation received recognition due to the fact that, thanks to the sale of single pieces by De Agostino, tens of thousands of I-Droid01 robots have been bought all over the world.
No spin-off could have ever obtained these results without the agreement with De Agostini (where Sergio Abate of Ellisse Sas played an essential role).
Participants in the EURON plenary council included, Paolo Dario, Polo Sant'Anna Valdera director and coordinator of the Laboratori di Robotica ARTS and CRIM.
Various data confirm the viability of the two centres on the world stage including quality scientific research in bio-engineering and robotics, the number of patents and spin-off companies and now the international recognition of industrial initiatives able to produce significant financial results.
Paolo Dario gave his ''most sincere compliments to Robo Tech. This award is the recognition of a business created by people educated at the university who have succeeded on a variety of levels.
''We are very proud of the fact that Nicola Canelli and the others were educated at the university and instructed by professors (in particular Robo Tech founder, Cecelia Laschi, who played a large role in his training) who knew how to encourage their talents. Congratulations to Nicola and all of the members of Robo Tech for this immense honour''.
