Ital.IA Lab, how artificial intelligence is driving digital manufacturing in fab labs
In the digital manufacturing laboratory of Rome's Palestra dell'Innovazione, a new alliance between artificial intelligence and the culture of making is being tested. This is the iFab project, created as part of the Ital.IA Lab training programme developed with Microsoft, with the aim of making the experience in digital manufacturing laboratories increasingly accessible, assisted and autonomous. Smart totems and mobile robots equipped with generative models accompany students and new makers as they discover the machinery and technologies, transforming the lab into an enabling and deeply inclusive environment [see also the news items A smarter fab lab with AI and Digital manufacturing for all].
‘iFab is a project that was born in our fab lab,’ says Daniele Vigo, "to help new makers get started on their journey. We gathered all the information about the machinery and organised it by training a Copilot agent. This agent was transferred to a totem, which now acts as an interface to guide those who enter the Fab Lab."
Alongside the totem, a mobile robot has also been developed, capable of moving around the space and offering active assistance to those who need support, explanations or guidance on how to use the equipment.
Giulia Nardini, one of the leaders of the team that developed the guide robot, explains:
‘We have created a guide robot for the Fondazione Mondo Digitale FabLab: it allows users, and in particular new makers, to explore all the machines in the laboratory, which are explained thanks to the generative intelligence integrated into the robot.’
The group used a pre-trained Microsoft model, fine-tuning it with the official machine documentation. ‘It was an experience that allowed us to combine the knowledge of many people involved in the project,’ continues Giulia, ‘and of course, you can imagine a real-world application for our prototype.’
With projects such as iFab, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale confirms its educational and transformative vocation: not only to train new makers, but also to build environments where artificial intelligence is at the service of the community, as an invisible and ever-present tutor. Today, digital manufacturing can truly be for everyone.
