A unique documentary explores how Swiss researchers from major institutions such as EPFL and ETHZ have teamed up during twelve years to produce the most groundbreaking robotic technologies. It is now released internationally and made available to all audiences.
The story of twelve years of groundbreaking Swiss robotics research is the subject of a new documentary that is now freely available for international audiences. It can be watched online at the NCCR Robotics website or directly on YouTube.
Produced by NCCR Robotics and co-produced with Viven, the documentary features forty-five minutes of original footage and interviews with robotics experts in Switzerland, documenting some of the most innovative projects that emerged from the work of the NCCR Robotics.
Shot all around Switzerland, and notably in Lausanne, Geneva, Zurich, Wangen an der Aare, Leysin, and Lugano, the documentary is a unique look at the state of the art of medical, educational and rescue robotics, and at the specific contributions that Swiss researchers have given to the field over the last decade. In addition to showing the robots in action, the film features extended interviews with top experts including Stéphanie Lacour, Silvestro Micera, Davide Scaramuzza, Robert Riener, Pierre Dillenbourg, Margarita Chli, Dario Floreano.
From the quadruped robot ANYMal to the PackDrone and LISHawk advanced drones; from spinal cord implants and robotic support systems that allowed paralyzed patients to walk again, to autonomous racing drones capable of beating the best human pilots; from the MYOsuit exoskeleton to soft robotic components for a new generation of wearable applications; from the Cellulo and Thymio educational robots to the visionary project for a robotic third arm, the documentary is an extraordinary leap in the daily life of Swiss researchers and their creations.
According to Dario Floreano, NCCR Robotics Director: “This documentary is a powerful tool to help explain how robotics will impact our lives in the future. It also shows how Swiss researchers are playing a key role in this field of research, and we hope that people watching this documentary will be inspired by it, and that more young people will be attracted to studying robotics.”
From 2010 to 2022, the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Robotics played a key role in developing the Swiss robotics scene, by developing a new generation of robots that can work side by side with humans, fighting disabilities, facing emergencies and transforming education. Led by EPFL professor Dario Floreano and ETHZ professor Robert Riener, it included seven major research institutions across Switzerland and was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
During its 12 years of activity, NCCR Robotics focused in particular on three main research strands:
- The Wearable Robotics Grand Challenge developed a new generation of wearable robotic systems that will help tackle a major societal and clinical challenge: the dramatic increase of people affected by neurological disorders, as a consequence of the continuing increase of life expectancy brought about by modern medicine.
- The Rescue Robotics Grand Challenge investigated and developed highly innovative robotic technologies for Search-And-Rescue (SAR) operations for emergency response.
- The Educational Robotics Grand Challenge developed robots that have already reached thousands of schools, resulting in new institutional initiatives both at EPFL and across Switzerland, and with the potential to radically change the way in which robots are used in schools.
