A robotic system developed by the Sustainable Production Systems (SPS) Laboratory at SUPSI monitors in real time the quality of surface coatings during additive manufacturing processes. The solution enhances reliability and sustainability in the production of complex components, with applications ranging from aerospace to heat exchangers and electric mobility.
Measuring the impact of their activities and tracking the life cycle of a product are becoming essential requirements for companies. In addition to responding to the regulatory context, these guidelines can prove to be new and powerful strategic drivers.
Designed to enhance safety in industrial inspection activities, Grace is a quadruped robot capable of moving and climbing in hostile environments such as shipyards, oil platforms and energy facilities. Among its distinctive features are its ability to adapt to surfaces of different nature and to respond to unforeseen events by autonomously adjusting its behaviour.
On Friday, 14 November, two SUPSI research groups from the Automation, Robotics and Machines Laboratory (ARM) and the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI) took part in the Swiss Robotics Day, the most important Swiss event dedicated to robotics and intelligent system
From rethinking design to reducing waste and consumption in production processes, there are numerous examples and avenues to explore in order to reduce the environmental impact of plastic materials.
The Automation, Robotics and Machines (ARM) Laboratory has developed new automated and digital solutions for dismantling lithium-ion battery packs and cells, turning an environmental challenge into an opportunity: safer, more efficient recycling aimed at the circular reuse of materials.
After Basel, Bern, Geneva, Canton Grisons, Lausanne, Lucerne, the Ostschweiz region and Zurich, the network of the National Association for the Promotion of the Circular Economy is expanding with the official opening of Circular Economy Switzerland Regio Circle Ticino.
The Laboratory of Automation, Robotics, and Machines (ARM) at SUPSI, led by Prof. Dr. Anna Valente, has taken an important step forward in the safety of maintenance operations, successfully completing its first structural inspection in a real operational environment.
The Automation, Robotics and Machines (ARM) Laboratory of the Department of Innovative Technologies focuses on the development of autonomous climbing mobile robots for inspection and maintenance operations in high-risk environments. On July 4, 2025, it took part in the ROBOTX Innovation Day, an event organized by ETH Zurich dedicated to fostering exchange between academic and industrial excellence in the field of robotics.
The article "Methodology to perform a comparative prospective Life Cycle Assessment of new bio-based materials" by the Sustainable Production Systems (SPS) Laboratory has won the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Engineering, Technology, and Innovation Management (ICE/IEEE ITMC) held in Valencia. The conference is one of the leading international events in the field of sustainable innovation.
With the DaCapo project, the European Union aims to develop digital tools and AI-based solutions to support businesses in making their value chains and product life cycles more sustainable, thus promoting the transition towards a circular economy.
The E2COMATION project, funded by the European H2020 programme, has been successfully completed. Its objective was to promote energy efficiency initiatives for manufacturing companies. The proposed solution proves particularly valuable for decision-making, not only in relation to production processes but also during the design and planning phases.
The DENiM project (Digital Intelligence for Collaborative Energy Management in Manufacturing) has been completed, leading to the development of a digital intelligence platform for collaborative energy management in the manufacturing sector. The initiative addressed challenges in energy efficiency, digital integration, and workforce skill development.
The TREASURE project has been successfully completed, an initiative that promoted the transition of the automotive sector towards Circular Economy (CE) practices. The project addressed the main barriers hindering the full potential of CE, demonstrating the concrete benefits of its adoption in both technological and economic terms.
As part of the FTAL Conference 2024 on circular economy, the Laboratory for Sustainable Production Systems (SPS) received the Best Scientific Award for the study "Advancing Circular Economy in Fashion: Feasibility and Impact of Enhanced Recycling Technologies for Post-Industrial Textile Waste."
Samuele Dell’Oca, a research assistant at the Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production (ISTePS), has been awarded the SAMCE 2024 prize. The recognition highlights young researchers who excel in Additive Manufacturing for the innovation and impact of their studies.
The Fluently Project, led by the Automation, Robotics, and Machines (ARM) Laboratory in collaboration with an international consortium of 22 academic and industrial partners, aims to enhance human-robot interaction in industrial sectors, such as manufacturing, by leveraging the most advanced artificial intelligence techniques.
The project, led by the Sustainable Production Systems Laboratory (SPS), facilitates the adoption of artificial intelligence by small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Switzerland and Europe.
The Automation, Robotics and Machines (ARM) laboratory, together with 12 other European partners, concluded the H2020 project Mesomorph. The main objective was the realisation of an all-in-one machine to produce micro-components by means of innovative processes based on laser femto and atomic layer deposition technologies.
The SIGMA project aims to bring older adults and health professionals active in home care closer to the use of technologies to support care planning and implementation.
The Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) has appointed 14 new ordinary members. Among them is Professor Anna Valente, head of the Laboratory of Automation, Robotics and Machines (ARM) at SUPSI.
Anneke Orlandini, a PhD student in the Automation, Robotics and Machine Lab (ARM), won the Connect Talk award during the second Swiss Advanced Manufacturing Community Event (SAMCE).
MEMTi's Polymer Engineering Lab showcased some applied research projects on PFAS during the RSI program "Il Giardino di Albert".
Within the STAR project, the Sustainable Production Systems Laboratory developed a software infrastructure and related models to digitize production systems, including workers, and support the quality control and navigation activities of autonomous mobile robots.
