Moog Announces Agreement with The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) for Joint Development of Next-Generation Actuation and Control Technologies for Autonomous Robots
12 February 2016
East Aurora, NY, USA - Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) announced that it signed an agreement with IIT, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) for the creation of a new joint lab in Genoa, Italy – Moog@IIT – focusing on the development and application of next-generation actuation and control technologies for autonomous robots. Moog and IIT will work together over the next three years to develop key enabling technologies to accelerate the adoption of autonomous robots into real-world applications.
Key research activities of the joint lab will include the development of next-generation, optimized actuation solutions as well as compact power generation and management systems for emerging robotics applications. Special attention will be given to energy-efficiency, reliability and safety. Moog’s extensive expertise in systems certification will be applied to autonomous robots. Metal additive manufacturing technologies for titanium and aluminum will be core to the newly developed actuation systems and robots. The past research collaboration between Moog and IIT has so far resulted in a family of highly-integrated smart servo-actuator for legged robots.
The main test platforms for the new technologies are IIT’s 80kg quadruped robot HyQ and its successors. Since its construction in 2010, HyQ has demonstrated a wide repertoire of motions ranging from running and jumping to carefully planned locomotion over rough terrain. The second version, HyQ2Max, will be turned into a rugged test platform that is ready for experiments outside the laboratory, for example on disaster sites, forests and construction sites. Future generations of legged robots are expected to assist human operators in dangerous and dirty applications like disaster response, remote handling of dangerous goods, as well as maintenance, inspection and load carrying tasks.
“IIT is an excellent partner to push high-performance hydraulic actuation and power systems to new levels in autonomous robot applications, “ said Dr. Gonzalo Rey, Moog Chief Technology Officer. “We have been successfully working with IIT’s Dynamic Legged Systems lab for several years and have been able to showcase how our advanced products can deliver increased system performance and simplify integration on autonomous robots. The new joint lab will enable us to marry Moog's world-class actuation technology and know-how in reliability with IIT's expertise in agile legged systems.“
ABOUT MOOG
Moog Inc. is a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and integrator of precision control components and systems. Moog’s high-performance systems control military and commercial aircraft, satellites and space vehicles, launch vehicles, missiles, automated industrial machinery, wind energy, marine and medical equipment. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.moog.com.
ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AT A GLANCE
The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) is a public research center that adopts the model of a private foundation, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, established by Law 326/2003. IIT aims to promote excellence in basic and applied research and to encourage the development of the national economy.
The total staff of IIT counts about 1,440 people. The scientific field is represented by approximately 85% of the staff. 45% of researchers come from abroad: of these, 29% are foreigners from more than 50 countries and 16% are Italians. Today the scientific staff consists of about 60 principal investigators, about 110 researchers and technical staff, about 350 post doc, about 500 doctoral students and fellows, and about 130 technicians. Average age 34 years. 41% women and 59% men. In 2015, IIT has received public funding for approximately 96 million euro, obtaining external funds for 22 million euro from 18 European projects, 17 loans from national and international institutions, and about 60 industrial projects.
In its first nine years of activity, the Institute can already count 11 ERC (Consolidator Grants - among the most prestigious competitive funding for research in Europe) awarded by the European Research Council, won by scientists of high profile for the realization of cutting-edge scientific projects. The scientific production of IIT has more than 5500 publications, more than 300 patent applications active, over 10 created start-ups and as many in the launch phase. In the Central Lab of Genoa collaborating departments of Robotics ("Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences" and "Advanced Robotics"), departments oriented to life sciences ("Neuroscience and Brain Technologies", and "Discovery and Drug Development") and facility of "Nanochemistry", "Nanophysics", "Pattern Analysis & Computer Vision" and "iCub Facility". Since 2009 the scientific activity was further strengthened with the creation of ten research centers in Italy (Turin, Milan, Trento, Parma, Rome, Pisa, Naples, Lecce,Ferrara) and abroad (MIT and Harvard in the US) which, together with the Central Laboratory of Genoa, develop the scientific research program 2015-2017
