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Politecnico involved in project to help those who have lost the sense of smell
Work has begun on ROSE, the project funded by the European Union which sees Politecnico as one of the seven leading European partners.
The ROSE project is dedicated to people affected by a total or partial loss of smell (anosmia and hyposmia) and aims at developing technologies to give them support. Unlike other sensory systems, to date there is no way to partially or totally restore the sense of smell, once damaged.
The ROSE project combines disciplines such as nanotechnology, microtechnology, biotechnology, mechanical design, neurosurgery, clinical olfaction, neuroscience and cognitive psychology, with the aim of verifying the feasibility of a olfactory prosthesis miniaturized that combines micro odor sensors and neural stimulators .
In fact, it is estimated that the loss of smell affects about 20% of the world population, with a recent increase due to the Covid-19 pandemic, since about 1 in 2 infected registers anosmia or hyposmia among its symptoms.
THE ROLE OF POLITECNICO
Our University plays a fundamental role in the development of the project: under the guidance of the professors Marina Carulli and Monica Bordegoni of the Department of Mechanics, Politecnico will develop customized miniaturized olfactory receptors and will have to design, test and produce prototypes of miniaturized olfactory prostheses, using 3D printing technologies .
The project is funded with over € 3 million by the European Union under the H2020 Pathfinder Pilot program. In addition to the Politecnico the participants are Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CNRS, France), Technische Universität Dresden (Germany), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Aryballe (France), Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (Greece) and CEA LETI (France ).
Find out all about frontier research at Politecnico and on the topics defined by the European Commission as part of the Recovery Plan. Visit the Next Generation EU website of the Politecnico di Milano .
Politecnico and CONI: a framework agreement for research and training
Politecnico di Milano and CONI - Italian National Olympic Committee signed a framework agreement for the training of students and graduates and carrying out research activities in the plant engineering sector.
The agreement, signed in a meeting at our University, provides for a four-year collaboration for the promotion of training initiatives and learning paths that allow students and graduates to broaden their knowledge relating to implementation and management sports infrastructures, also thanks to the carrying out of laboratory exercises, projects and graduation papers.
Thanks to the agreement it will also be possible to carry on research aimed at technological innovation in the sector and new resources and courses will be provided for the professional updating of CONI operators.
The event for the signing of the agreement was attended by Giovanni Malagò, President of CONI, Ferruccio Resta , Rector of Politecnico, Emilio Faroldi, Head Scientific of the agreement for Politecnico, and Francesco Calvetti , Rector's Delegate for Sports Activities.
Read more on: The New Giuriati Sport Center: the athletic heart of Politecnico di Milano
Speaking of space travel: we are on Mars (thanks to an Alumnus among others)
Mars2020 project began to take shape in 2012, after the landing, of rover Curiosity . It took almost ten years to perfect the design, make calculations, projections, tests and finally give birth to the Perseverance rover, which landed on February 18, 2021 .
Marco Dolci , engineer and Alumnus of Politecnico di Milano, is one of the 1000 engineers, scientists and researchers who contributed to creating Perseverance, and tells us about his experience:
"From the initial draft, to being able to touch the rover with your hands and see that it works as expected ... it's like taking care of a growing child", "As parents, in his adventure we are always there for him, but follows its own path and goes far. It is a parallelism that is also valid in the retail appreciation of the little things that Perseverance does, every day. Among journalists and in society there is always a tendency to ask ourselves what his latest great discovery is; but for people who have been working there every day for almost 10 years, every step they take is a great event: behind there is the work of many people who have thought about it, who have done countless tests, who have not slept, so that that single step were possible ".
Perseverance is a kind of robotic geologist and studies the rocks and mineral properties of the Martian soil, on scales ranging from 1 m to 1 mm in size. The second objective touches on one of the great questions of astrobiology: was there ever life on Mars?
Another important task of Perseverance is the collection of samples of soil, rock and atmosphere for a possible future Mars sample return mission: the goal of which would be to be able to bring these samples back to Earth for analysis.
And finally, thinking even bigger, Perseverance is also on Mars to prepare human exploration : in fact, some specific experiments are planned that will allow us to understand if it is possible to use Martian resources to make the planet more habitable. for a possible mission with "real human beings on board".
Dolci takes care of the rover's robotic subsystem and, in particular, of the two manipulators, the external and internal robotic arm. The design is very similar to Curiosity's (a proven design helps minimize the risks) but there are some important differences. The robotic subsystem of Perseverance, designed by Dolci, is the most complex ever sent by man beyond Earth's orbit to be able to explore the solar system.
"It consists of two parts - explains the engineer - One part is the robotic arm of about 2 meters, which carries, at the end, a turret with scientific instruments for analysis and a drill to collect samples. Once the sample is collected, the arm folds towards the rover and deposits the sample in the Perseverance "belly". Inside the rover there is another robotic arm that takes the sample, inserts it into a tube, examines it and puts it in safety, with the idea of leaving it on Martian soil for a possible future recovery mission ".
From the Alta Scuola Politecnica the panel-labyrinth that imprisons noise
A new invention capable of revolutionizing acoustic technology for noise attenuation: these anti-noise panels are capable of absorbing sound waves, based on "labyrinthine metamaterials". These metamaterials, so defined because they have higher potential than those of conventional materials, have a particular "labyrinth" structure that allows the acoustic wave to be reflected several times inside them, progressively reducing until it disappears.
The minds behind this new technology are six students of the Alta Scuola Politecnica, the international program that brings together the best students of the Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino: Leonardo Bettini student Aeronautical Engineering), Venus Hasanuzzaman Kamrul (Alumnus Engineering Physics 2021), Emanuele Musso ( Alumnus Engineering Mechanical 2021) , Fabio Nistri (student of Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology), Davide Piciucco ( Alumnus of Civil Engineering 2021) and Matteo Zemello (Alumnus of Aeronautical Engineering 2021).
In addition to the particular structure, the new panels are characterized by being light and inexpensive , and are created through 3D printing, using waste plastics. The erasable noises are very varied: from medium frequency sounds, typical of speech and some musical instruments, to low frequency ones, caused by motors. The sectors of application are also different, from construction to automotive, up to domestic use.
The project was tested and validated at Energy Department-DENERG "Galileo Ferraris" of the Politecnico di Torino and involved, as an industrial partner, Phononic Vibes , a company born in 2018 as a spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano; will now continue within the European research path FET - Boheme , coordinated by the University of Trento and in which the Politecnico of Turin, the Imperial College of London and the Federal Polytechnic of Zurich (ETH) are involved among others.
Find out all about frontier research at Politecnico and on the topics defined by the European Commission as part of the Recovery Plan. Visit the Next Generation EU website of the Politecnico di Milano .
Credits home: corriere.it
Credits header: Alta Scuola Politecnica
Politecnico is “making history”: a first triumph for PoliMOVE
In Italy, university sport is traditionally not very popular, but last January 7 something happened that could change this, and 2022 could be remembered as the beginnging of a new sport .
THE RACE
For the uninitiated, the CES - Consumer Electronics Show is the largest trade fair in electronics in the world, held once a year, every January, in Las Vegas, since 1967. There some products that have made history have seen the light, such as the video recorder in 1970. The technologies that pervade our lives are always revealed, well in advance, at CES.
In 2022 the 55th edition was held (from 5 to 8 January). The VCR is a distant memory. We live in a world of artificial intelligence, augmented and hybrid reality, self-driving cars ... A world in which the Polytechnic has a place of honor. During CES, the first head-to-head race between unmanned cars took place on 7 January , the Autonomous Challenge, organized by the Energy Systems Network (the non-profit organization that also launched the Indy Autonomous Challenge ). It involved the running teams of the best universities in the world and it was Italy, with Politecnico di Milano, that won the first prize of 150 thousand euros ( read more here).
"A HISTORICAL VICTORY"
The national and international press that is dealing with the subject agrees on this definition.
- “Un traguardo che passerà alla storia” – La Gazzetta dello Sport
- “Un momento storico, in ogni match le macchine dovevano superarsi in velocità sempre crescenti, fino a quando una non ce la faceva più” – La Repubblica
- “l’Italia trionfa alla prima (vera) gara tra auto a guida autonoma” – Il Corriere della Sera
From around the world
- “Autonomous vehicle history was made in the first week of January 2022” – Robotreport
- “PoliMove wins the Autonomous Challenge at CES, making history as the first head-to-head autonomous racecar competition champion” – Prnewswire
- “L’exploit est une première dans la courte histoire des véhicules pilotés par algorithmes” – Actu
- “ Watch this self-driving racecar go 173 mph with no human driver inside ”, headlines CNN , with a video showing overtaking in the foreground with which PoliMOVE wins its place in the Olympus of motor racing.
THE OVERTAKE
Recap of previous episodes : Team PoliMOVE , led by Professor Sergio Savaresi of the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano, is a team that this year has won almost everything. The extraordinary results achieved are also the result of the collaboration with e-Novia , which supports the team as main sponsor, Fluentis and Movyon , in as supporting sponsor. The team is also a partner of the University of Alabama.
Between March and October 2021, during tests and qualifying races aboard a virtual car , PoliMOVE dominates the rivals, over 30 university teams from all over the world who have participated in the Indy Autonomous Challenge (a bit the "prequel" of the race on 7 January). On 23 October, the teams take to the track with real cars for the final .
The cars used for the race are Dallara AV-21 cars , the most advanced self-driving racing cars in existence. All the same, for all teams . What changes is only the "pilot" driving, the artificial intelligence. Our car has a name and (in the intentions of the programmers) a face: AS.CAR.I. (acronym for AutonomouS CAR Intelligence) , in homage to the great Italian driver.
On October 23 AS.CAR.I. missed gold by a hair , due to a breakdown in the car that sends him off the track, however, winning the championship speed record: 252 km/h. The Dallaras are indeed the most advanced self-driving cars in the world, but they are not yet perfect : " The engine broke down when we reached maximum speed, ”explains Savaresi, who at the moment doesn't know exactly what happened. In first place, the German team TUM, of the Technical University of Munich.
The same fault limits the results of PoliMOVE also in December 2021, during a solo race carried out to beat the absolute speed record for an autonomous vehicle . AS.CAR.I. makes it for a very short time: with 283.18 km / h, or 175.96 mph, it surpasses Roborace's speed record (175.49 mph) recorded by the Guinness and UK Timing Association in 2019. Watch the video of the record: World's Fastest Autonomous Racecar - PoliMOVE Speed Record .
“ We were able to identify the nature of the fault: there was an overcurrent which shut down the engine. All teams would have had the same problem, if another team's car had reached that speed, it would have shut down like ours. We were going too fast for her. We finally understood where the problem was and the organizers have, on our indication, removed it in time for the new race of 7 January 2022 “.
This time, a real head-to-head competition : while in Indianapolis the cars took to the track one at a time (to limit the difficulty coefficient of such a new and unpredictable competition) at the Autonomous Challenge @ CES final we see the first head-to-head in history between artificial pilots at those speeds , once again PoliMOVE in the final against the Germans of TUM. A challenge with overtaking strokes, in which the polytechnic team triumphs in the end:
"A milestone in the history of autonomous driving: two cars launched at 280 km per hour , almost touching each other. But this time they didn't manage to keep up with us ”, comments a beaming Savaresi after the victory.
Credits: Sergio Savaresi and Indy Autonomous Challenge
NEXT STEPS
This glorious year for Politecnico is almost at the end: the last step, in a few weeks, will be the attempt to break the world record again.
“We aim for 200 mph, 320/330 km / h ”. What about next year? "Triplets: first in the simulation race, first at Indy and first at CES", jokes Savaresi, but he knows that, in sport, victory is not sung too soon: "Seriously, it is important to remain among the first, then sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. What is certain is that we can no longer hide: we are the ones to beat ". A few numbers: the car costs 600,000 euros, of which 300,000 are subsidized by ESN and 300,000 through sponsors and donations. In addition to out-of-pocket travel costs, not counting the research grants of the PhD students in the team, about thirty automation, computer, electronic, telecommunication and mechanical engineers. “You have to do it right. We need a budget of 1 million euros per year ".
THE FUTURE IS EPIC: HUMANS AGAINST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
"In general, motorsport has always had the function of anticipating automotive technologies," explains Savaresi, becoming serious again after the emotion. "Futuristic solutions are tried on the track, perhaps a little dangerous, which can also fail, are tested in a controlled context with limited risk, and then the experience is transferred to production cars. All car technologies have passed from motorsport : engine development, aerodynamics, materials, etc. All, except automatic checks . Artificial intelligence (the one that gave rise to ABS, traction control, stability control ...) is systematically banned by the federations because it detracts from the role of the driver. For this reason, there is a huge gap between F1 technology, the highest expression of motorsport, and production cars: the latter are much more refined . But the autonomous car is the keystone of a revolution that will affect the world of mobility over the next 10-15 years, forever changing the way we travel (but also how we live). This revolution requires a major technological leap: the development of a completely autonomous car. Therefore, we need a field of experimentation ".
This is the meaning of the birth of a new sport, autonomous motorsport. Which could one day lead to a confrontation between a flesh-and-blood Ascari and an artificial one:
“ In the future I imagine a championship in which man and machine will compete . In 10 years, perhaps, every F1 team will have an artificially piloted car and a car with a human driver ”.
And who will win? We ask: “Good question. Some say that it will end up like chess, where at a certain point the artificial intelligence has exceeded our computing abilities and from that moment on it has always won. But driving a car isn't like playing a game of chess, it doesn't end in a finite number of combinations. I expect AI to be able to compete with a human pilot in about ten years . Then, it will take another 10-20 years for the machines to overtake us. But, at that point, we must keep in mind that AI has an advantage over us that has nothing to do with the ability to calculate: its ability to perceive the world at 360 ° with a quantity of sensory stimuli that do not we can match with our natural senses. To continue competing, we will develop augmented human : we will equip human pilots with augmented perception. We do not yet know how, but technology will give man a perception comparable to that of the car: at that point the race will be open again. The human and the artificial mind will compete on equal terms ".
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Credits header: quattroruote.it
Credits home: therobotreport.com
CO2OLHEAT
Alumnus Stefano Boeri designs a new model of an "open" school
A school that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year , experienced by students during school hours and by the whole community on weekends and holidays: this is the new school model introduced by the architect and Alumnus Stefano Boeri in Tirana.
The project, which came to life as part of the new Tirana 2030 master plan, pursues the idea that the school of the future can be the epicenter of urban life of the neighborhoods, as a place that is always open to everyone, at all ages.
"The topic of open schools has become a real necessity to face well-being needs of citizens from all over the world - the Alumnus comments -. at the educational level, an open school means a bigger connection with the territory, an exchange of knowledge and experiences, with an important impact on the life of the neighborhood. The three new schools in Tirana were designed to become true centers of social life and as spaces of intergenerational and social connection. The project in Tirana is an anticipation of an 'archipelago city', of a metropolis made up of self-sufficient neighborhoods in services to citizen, a model that can be pursued by many other international capitals."
The three schools are dedicated to the pre-university courses and host canteens, multifunctional rooms, libraries and sports facilities, which can be used by students and citizens during different times of the day, and will thus become a center for public life .
THE PLANNING
During the design it was essential to calibrate the presence of traditional spaces , according to the rules and regulation of the Ministry of education, with "hybrid" areas , fundamental for implementing the experimental and the inter-generational interaction between students of different ages and cycles.
“The volume of the complex was conceived starting from the open spaces, which were given the same weight and importance dedicated to the interiors. In order to create an accessible building, which dialogues with the surrounding urban context, through careful study and access control in order to ensure safety, the spaces that host public functions "
Francesca Cesa Bianchi, Project Director Alumna in Architecture 2005.
Alumnus Andrea Carson wins the first edition of the AIDI Luce award
Andrea Carson , Alumnus and technical director of Luminum, received, during the first edition of the AIDI Luce 2021 Award, the “Mario Bonomo” award, dedicated to the memory of the Alumnus who passed away in 2019, a great lighting designer who has contributed significantly to the growth of the lighting industry in Italy.
The award was given to him for "his work in recent years in the world of lighting, knowing how to combine creativity and innovation with great attention to the themes of culture and the enhancement of historic assets through new technologies ".
Carson already in 2020 had been talked about for having been included among the 40 best lighting designers in the world of the "40 under 40" award , organized by the English magazine Lighting Magazine, which selects the most promising young lighting designer to the world.
With the team of his studio - Luminum Lighting Design founded in 2015 - he has given new light to the creations of the architectural giants of his hometown, Novara, and his region, from Juvarra to Antonelli, highlighting sacred places, such as the Archbishop's Seminary of Vercelli, the Cathedral of Novara or the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso in Boleto, on Lake Orta.
During the awards ceremony, organized by AIDI, the Italian Lighting Association which has been promoting the culture of light in Italy since 1959, the Alumnus said: "I admit that it was a very strong emotion to receive this recognition, in front of important figures in the world of lighting, and I can only share this award with my Luminum partners and our team, colleagues, customers and friends who have believed in us over the years and who share the our values and our goals. "
LIGHTING DESIGN AND POLITECNICO
Talking about how his passion for lighting design began at Salone del Mobile , Carson also recalled his university education:
“I studied at Politecnico , at the Milan Bovisa campus, where it was possible to deal with multiple aspects of the profession. I began to deepen the themes related to light during the scenography and photography courses for architecture, discovering how light was a material at the same time technical and artistic, with a plurality of possible uses and emotions that it could develop, and I wondered which ones they could be the applications of these technologies in the monumental field and on artistic heritage that I studied in the restoration courses. "
The year was 2016, when we published "2099"
“In the face of changes, we must ask ourselves if what we do is still relevant”. "We must fight for inclusion and overcome the economic ceiling that prevents access to a dignified life for all". "Change is the only constant: learn to grasp the signs". "Do not lose sight of what cannot be measured: human relationships". “Once a month, have a digital detox day!”. “Less ego, more eco: we must design with sustainability as our goal”. "It is difficult to predict for the next decades, but an important reflection remains nonetheless: you will need it to be ready for changes and adapt more quickly". "We must get out of the perspective of the crisis and try to understand what has changed".
Five years ago we asked 87 C-Level Alumni to imagine what the world would be like in 2099. In the meantime, many of them have changed roles, companies, in some cases even industry. Some have grown up, others have retired, others have sadly left us. Some will certainly have changed their minds, and today they would answer our question differently: how do you imagine the world in 2099?
In these years all sorts of changes happened, but, reading these messages, we might have the impression that they were written today. So, we have two options: either the world has not changed at all (unlikely, right?); or the Alumni have a crystal ball (equally unlikely). Or, more likely they are aging like wine: improving.
"The Alumni of Politecnico di Milano are architects, designers and engineers who work in various sectors of our society, from technology to the design of living spaces, from economics to industry, from art to culture"
wrote President Zio in the preface to Towards 2099: 87 tips from great Alumni of the Politecnico di Milano to shape yourself for tomorrow , a title that says everything about their intentions. "This group of women and men", he continued, "is an innovation engine of extraordinary importance for our country". 2099 is a treasure trove of experiences for those who have already built a future for themselves and guide it in the present, facing challenges, making mistakes and in any case, always learning. Concludes prof. Enrico Zio: “Let's not stop learning today to make less mistakes tomorrow”.
2099 was joined in alphabetical order by: Roger Abravanel, Marco Airoldi, Stefano Arganese, Paolo Baratta, Paolo Battiston, Luca Belenghi, Roberto Beltrame, Paolo Bertoluzzo, Luciano Bonetti, Guido Bortoni, Angelo Bosoni, Elena Bottinelli, Daslav Brkic, Francesco Caio , Guido Cami, Marco Candiani, Tino Canegrati, Carlo Capè, Giulio Cappellini, Carlo Carganico, Alessandro Cattani, Luciano Cavazzana, Paolo Cederle, Andrea Certo, Giulio Cesareo, Aldo Chiarini, Aldo Cingolani, Antonio Citterio, Luca Colombo, Roberto Crapelli, Giampaolo Dallara, Claudio De Albertis, Gianandrea De Bernardis, Enrico Deluchi, Giuseppe Di Franco, Fabio Dinale, Elio (Stefano Belisari), Mauro Fenzi, Luigi Ferrari, Guglielmo Fiocchi, Gianbeppi Fortis, Angelo Fumagalli, Aldo Fumagalli Romario, Marco Galletti, Giovanni Gemmani , Luciano Gobbi, Ugo Govigli, Vittorio Gregotti, Andrea Incontri, Alberto Iperti, Andrea Keller, Ugo La Pietra, Pietro Lissoni, Andrea Lovato, Fabio Maccari, Virginia Magliulo, Stefano Ma rzano, Alessandro Matera, Renato Mazzoncini, Alessandro Mendini, Angelo Meregalli, Marco Milani, Riccardo Monti, Alberto Negri, Maurizio Nichetti, Fabio Novembre, Alessandro Ortis, Giulio Pastore, Bartolomeo Pescio, Stefano Pessina, Carlo Purassanta, Paolo Ramadori, Giorgio Rossi Cairo , Walter Ruffinoni, Stefano Scaglia, Marco Sesana, Stefano Siragusa, Sergio Solero, Francesco Starace, Maurizio Teora, Vico Valassi, Patricia Viel, Franco Villani, Enrico Zampedri, Luca Zanotti, Elena Zucchetti.
On the rise: 234 scholarships in 2021
Last update: 17/06/2022
We are very pleased to be able to say that, in 2021, we broke the 2020 record: this year 234 students benefited from a scholarship, thanks to 205 donors (individuals and companies) who dedicated the total amount of 1,939,464 euros to the young people of Politecnico.
How were these donations distributed? At Politecnico there are many forms of support for the right to study and merit. Some of these projects welcome free donations (starting from 5 euros) and allow the creation of funds that will go to make up a scholarship or doctorate. Other projects require Alumni to form donor groups capable of fully supporting a female student. Still others invite companies and institutions to take on this support. Here are some examples.
CIRCLE OF DONORS
The Circle of Donors is the program dedicated to donors who wish to support the best master's students , offering prestigious scholarships in able to compete with those of the best international universities, which attract the most promising young people.
Circle students receive € 10,000 per year for the two years of the master's degree and have the opportunity to take advantage of a personal mentoring path with donors . They are chosen on the basis of academic merit criteria from among the best three-year undergraduates who continue their path at the Politecnico also at the Master's. A "club of 110 and honors", serious and focused on the goal : in addition to academic performance, to access the Circle you must respect a very strict schedule and graduate in the first session. Discover the Circles fellows:
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DIVERSITY
"But what exactly does an engineer do? Can I do it even if I haven't done the scientific? Will I be good enough? " Many high school students ask themselves these questions when evaluating the choice of their university path. Many of their comrades also pose them; the difference is that, among girls, only a very small percentage will eventually choose to enroll in an engineering course. At the Politecnico di Milano, women in engineering faculties are one for every 4 students, while in Architecture and Design the presence of women in some cases exceeds 50%.
Read the comment Professor Donatella Sciuto, Deputy Vice Rector of Politecnico, interviewed by Alley Oop - Il Sole 24 Ore
On the site dona.polimi.it you can find out how to support the students of Politecnico thanks to the Girls @ Polimi project.
SCOLARSHIPS FROM COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS
In 2021, the role of companies and institutions close to the University was also very important, as they chose to dedicate part of their resources to supporting students.
Among these, Huawei which, in the wake of the collaboration with the Polytechnic established with the Joint Lab, has set up scholarships for young researchers in the field of "Wireless Communications", giving young excellence the opportunity to carry out teaching and research activities in scope of 5G / 6G systems.
Edison Foundation in 2021 donated 20 thousand euros for scholarships, to finance 2 scholarships of 10 thousand euros each, dedicated to students of the master's degree course in energy engineering -energy engineering of the Politecnico di Milano. The scholarships are named after Eng. Guido Fossati, Alumnus of the Politecnico , former Director of HR and ICT of Edison.
Finally, a special mention to the Fondazione Poffe , which established the Andrea Poffe Fellowship for Young Talents in memory of Andrea Poffe, Alumnus in Mechanical Engineering who died prematurely in 2020 at the age of forty 'years. The scholarship was intended for a high school student or female student and will be active from the 2021/2022 academic year.
This exceptional result achieved in 2021 also came thanks to the support of the Alumni Community. We want to make 2022 like this too:
even with a small contribution you can help a needy and deserving student. Donate now