The Diga project with Roma Tre University
Antonio has “dragged” his classmates along on a journey of discovery into robotics, trying to imagine its myriad applications for people's well-being. At least, that is the role he has been given by the girls and boys in the third year of the Gaetano De Sanctis scientific high school in Rome, a school led by headteacher Cosima Stefania Chimienti. The 16-year-old is famous in his class for his desire to experiment and test himself with new challenges. "I've always wanted to study theoretical physics, but since we started the DIGA course with the class, I've started to think that I could devote myself to something different, more practical, such as aerospace engineering. Together with my classmates, we are discovering robotics and the RomeCup contests. I really enjoy participating in the training activities here in the classrooms of Roma Tre University to become more familiar with this world."
As part of the programme, on 12 and 13 January, we were guests at the University of Roma Tre to talk about drones, mechanical arms, collaborative robots and robots dedicated to care. Together with his colleagues, Andrea Gasparri, full professor of Robotics and Automation at the university, demonstrated the principles that guide the design and use of different types of robots through concrete examples and analysis activities.
Antonio's classmates also have great passions and appreciate guidance and growth initiatives such as these. Sofia, 16, has dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was a child and believes that her aptitude for technical and scientific subjects will pave the way for her to achieve this. “I didn't think that robotics could play an important role in healthcare, but I realised that it can also be a decisive technology for the world of medicine,” she commented.
Tommaso, 16, is not yet sure what he wants to do when he grows up, but he has a strong inclination towards science. Learning about computer engineering is opening up new perspectives for him, and an experience like this is bringing him closer to making a choice.
‘Today, we cannot show young people the jobs they will do tomorrow, given the technological evolution that is taking place, but we are opening a window in their minds,’ says Andrea Gasparri, ‘a strenuous job like farming may not be so tomorrow. Giving young people this perception today prepares them to take on the challenges of tomorrow.’ Robotics could reduce heavy work because it allows work to be carried out in hostile conditions, guarantees the repeatability of actions, precision and operational consistency, leading to better, more sustainable production, thus bringing young people back to the “land”.
See you at the next event, at the Palestra dell'Innovazione in Via del Quadraro 102!
The story is by Onelia Onorati, press office of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale.
