RomeCup 2024: March 20-22

In collaboration with the University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” RomeCup 2024 is a Fondazione Mondo Digital event organised with Italian Tech and the GEDI Publishing Group that focuses on technological innovation based on robotic and AI solutions for holistic sustainability. For the first time in Italy: a “Manifesto for Collective Action on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics,” a Superteam Championship in collaboration with RoboCup Junior, the Robotic Arm Challenge for the development of collaborative robotic arms, and the Charter of Human Rights for Digital Tools. This year, RomeCup has the patronage of the Regione Lazio, the City of Rome, Unindustria and Siri. Event partners: Inail, Microsoft, SAP, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, and Opening Future (joint project with Google Cloud, Intesa Sanpaolo, TIM Enterprise). Atac is the mobility partner and SiEnergie the technical partner.

RomeCup 2024 is a Fondazione Mondo Digitale event organised with GEDI Publishing Group and Italian Tech. It is promoted in collaboration with University of Rome “Tor Vergata.”  It is a three-day multi-event dedicated to the innovation ecosystem which, since 2007, has brought new generations closer to studies and careers in STEAM and has developed requested skills and professional profiles, such as robotics and AI.  RomeCup 2024 will be held on March 20-21 at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Engineering Macro Area, Edificio della didattica) and at the Rome Campidoglio (Sala Esedra, Musei Capitolini). On March 22, the final competitions and the awards ceremony will be held at the Campidoglio (Sala Laudato Sì, Protomoteca). The focus is technological innovation, based on robotic and AI solutions, for holistic sustainability to face environmental, social, and economic challenges in an integrated manner, always placing people at the centre. Scientists, researchers, educators, policy makers, and managers will address the ethical challenges posed by the “great technological acceleration” to promote sustainable and inclusive development for the wellbeing of humankind and the planet. We will present a Manifesto for Collective Action on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, an invitation to form a strategic alliance to work together on 10 concrete actions that will allow our country to advance towards a form of development based on skills and youth, so not to create further inequality, exclusion, and poverty. This year, RomeCup has the patronage of the Regione Lazio, the City of Rome, Unindustria and Siri. Event partners are Inail, Microsoft, SAP, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, and Opening Future (joint project with Google Cloud, Intesa Sanpaolo, TIM Enterprise). Atac is the mobility partner and SiEnergie the technical partner.

The event also includes the second edition of the Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Award, organised with the Rome Campus Bio-medico University, to promote the commitment of young researchers and PhD students in projects related to robotics and AI. Over 250 applications were submitted for the €20,000 award.

A few numbers: over 4000 participants, including over 3000 students; 109 teams competing in the robotic challenges with 23 teams in contests with universities; 35 organisations present in the showcase area with innovative prototypes developed by schools, companies, research centres, start-ups, and universities. There will be 31 university orientation talks organised by the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and other present universities on issues related to AI for data acquisition, the role of social robots, automation for sustainability, and new professional profiles related to AI.

Day one will feature international speakers such as Ross. D. King, Professor of Machine Intelligence at Chalmers University of Technology, one of the foremost experts on machine learning, and personalities such as Alessio Butti, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for Innovation; Giorgio Metta, Scientific Director of the Italian Technology Institute; Roberto Cingolani, CEO and Director General, Leonardo Spa; Vincenzo Esposito, CEO, Microsoft Italia; Mario Sturion, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Italia; Carla Masperi, CEO, SAP Italia; Riccardo Luna, host and Director, Italian Tech; and Alessandra Poggiani, Director General, Cineca. On March 21, at 20.30, the Sala Esedra del Marco Aurelio at the Rome Campidoglio will host “The Wonders of Artificial Intelligence,” seven acts on technology as a lever of change in various areas of human life, moderated by Riccardo Luna. This will be followed by the award presented to a young researcher. During the final awards ceremony at the Campidoglio on March 22, Padre Paolo Benanti, an expert in technology ethics, and Barbara Caputo, Professor at the Turin Polytechnic, will hold inspirational talks for the young men and women at the event. RomeCup will end with the awards ceremony at the present of the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.

In the showcase area: the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” will present autonomous drones and rovers for indoor localisation systems; the Rome Campus Bio-medico University will present HANDy, developed in collaboration with the INAIL prosthetic centre, as a low-cost custom-tailored solution; the CNR and the Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell’Informazione will present an application based on AI algorithms to recognise the main threats to grains (plant diseases, weeds and insects); the team of engineers and researchers from the Polytechnic University of the March and spin-off ANcybernetics will be present with submarine robots specialised in the collection of data in protected areas and the safeguard of biodiversity; the INAIL stand will present the “Side” exoskeleton for simulated interaction in virtual reality, a large drone for identifying contaminated sites, a collaborative robotic arm for the perception of risk in human-robot interaction, and a system to measure otoacoustic emissions (OAE) to monitor the hearing of workers exposed to noise and/or other oto/neurotoxic agents, also in extreme environments. Opening Future will present an automatic service for quality control for the identification of production defects based on AI algorithms. The Florence Robotics start-up will present DART, a programmable drone for the development of autonomous applications and the exploration of inaccessible environments, such as disaster sites.

The multi-event will also include:

• Robotics Competitions: Italian schools will compete in the “City of Rome” International Robotics Trophy with two new features: the first Italian Superteam challenge  in the Rescue Line Category and the Robotic Arm Challenge to test the technical and creative abilities of students in an inclusive learning environment.  
• Creative Contests: mixed teams composed of researchers, university professors and students will develop robotic prototypes and software interfaces. The traditional eight categories will be supplemented by a health challenge: Health Bot organised as part of Project Factor J in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. 
• Didactic Labs for students and professors. 
• Inspirational Talks: more than 10 sessions held by scientists, professors, scholars, and company leaders to inspire our youth.  
• Special Events: together with Opening Future, a joint project by Intesa Sanpaolo, Google Cloud and TIM Enterprise, we will present the first Charter of Human Rights for Digital Tools to regulate interaction between humans and human digitals, developed with high school students. 
• Hackathon: in addition to Rising Youth with Sap, there will be two new appointments for Project Coding Girls. In collaboration, the digital bank ING, three will be a challenge for Generation Z to design and develop, through AI applications on real cases, virtual assistant prototypes that can satisfy client requirements [see: cIAo! Will You Speak with Me?]; while with Microsoft and Programme Ital.IA Lab, students will create stories produced with GenAI and a critical, ethical and responsible approach [see: ChatSPOT. AI in Social Advertising].

WHEN: March 20-22, 2024  

WHERE: Rome

• March 20-21 – University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Engineering Macro Area, Edificio della didattica and Campidoglio | Sala Esedra, Musei Capitolini 
• March 22, 2024 - Campidoglio, Sala Laudato Sì and Protomoteca