IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - September 2021 - 160

diverse disciplines, including humanities and social sciences,
have provided a unique framework to form a new
vision of robotics, ultimately leading to new scientific
results and technological developments. We have proposed
a collaboration model in which two joint research labs
were the key components of the larger strategic objective
for the creation and strengthening of a solid link between
Japan and Italy. The connection was strongly established
by connecting universities, research centers, and small and
middle-size enterprises in the two nations (and, as a natural
extension, in Europe and Asia) in the fields of advanced
robotics, medical and biomedical technologies, and the
related biomechatronic technologies.
By pursuing this approach at three different levels
(excellence in research, joint education, and strong industrial
relationships), the joint workshops were a key part of
the implementation of this vision. Table 1 presents a summary
of the lessons learned and future challenges.
Although it is not possible to count the exact number of
projects, publications, and citations that have been directly
or indirectly fostered by this connection, we can qualitatively
analyze the most prolific field, humanoid robotics,
which was at the core of the start of the collaborations. The
research in that field has witnessed a continuation of publications
(beginning with 2002's prosthetic hand [68] from
the Italian side integrated into the humanoids in Japan
through to the development of twin robots WABIAN-2
and SABIAN and up to studies on facial expressions published
in 2014 [69]), with a steady exchange of personnel
(Pisa and Livorno becoming familiar to Japanese researchers,
and Waseda University becoming a hub for Italians).
This interdisciplinary, inclusive model has valuable characteristics
that can be exported to different contexts, in other
countries, by properly taking into account the peculiarities,
differences, and similarities of the countries involved;
however, it is sustainable only through a continuous commitment
and a glance toward the future challenges.
The latest edition (2019) of the Italy-Japan workshop
was titled " Robots and the Future. " Here, visionary talks by
participants aimed at fostering a discussion on how robots
will be in 20-30 years. The bottlenecks currently hampering
the development of very advanced robots were discussed
(e.g., actuation, energy, a lack of appropriate
materials, and so forth). Several possible enabling technologies
and future paradigm shifts were also proposed and
analyzed in an attempt to lay the foundations of a discussion
that may inspire the global robotics community.
Despite the fact that AI plays an increasingly important
role in the community, attention was focused instead on
the need to revolutionize robot " bodies, " delegating to
them a part of robot intelligence (known as embodied intelligence).
Furthermore, there will be a need to unveil the
secrets of animal and plant behavior. Nature, in fact, still
seems to be the most powerful source of inspiration for
developing a science and technology of graceful behavior,
targeting unprecedented robot performance, abilities, and
160 * IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE * SEPTEMBER 2021
impact. In the future, the workshops will continue to tackle
emergent topics and provide contributions to the international
intellectual discussion on robotics, its possible
applications domains, and its consequent implications
for society.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the Embassy of Italy in Tokyo for
its support over the past decades. We also acknowledge
Salvatore Sessa, Egidio Falotico, and Stefano Mazzoleni for
their efforts in the organization of the events and in pursuing
the collaboration between Waseda University and
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. A final acknowledgment is for
all the students and staff who were involved in the different
workshop editions. Gabriele Trovato is the corresponding
author. Gabriele Trovato and Leonardo Ricotti
contributed equally to this article.
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