ROSSINI · Project

Safe Human-Robot Teamwork That Runs at Full Industrial Speed

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Right now, when a robot works alongside a person on a factory floor, it has to slow way down to avoid hurting anyone — which kills productivity. ROSSINI built smarter sensors and controls so the robot can tell exactly where the human is and react 70% faster, letting it work at near-full speed without the safety cage. Think of it like giving the robot much better eyes and reflexes so it can be a fast, reliable teammate instead of a cautious, slow one. They tested this in three real factory settings: white goods, electronics, and food packaging.

By the numbers

70%

Faster sensor response time for human and robot detection

45%

Reduction in robot task execution time

45%

Increase in working speed when collaborating with humans

15%

Increase in job quality index

30%

Reduction in time and cost of reconfiguration

20%

Increase in allowed robot working speed

Industrial demonstrators (white goods, electronics, food packaging)

Collaborative robot prototype installed at Schindler end-user site

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturers who want robots and humans working side by side face an impossible trade-off: either the robot runs slow enough to be safe (killing productivity) or you cage it off entirely (losing flexibility). Reconfiguring collaborative robot cells is also expensive and time-consuming, making it hard to justify the investment for product lines that change frequently. Companies need a way to get full-speed industrial robot performance in shared human workspaces without the safety risk or reconfiguration headaches.

The solution

What was built

ROSSINI built a hardware-software platform combining smart sensors (70% faster detection), safety-aware robot controls (45% faster task execution), and a new collaborative robot manipulator (45% faster when working near humans). They delivered a working prototype installed at Schindler's facility, plus three industrial demonstrators in white goods, electronics, and food packaging. A total of 20 deliverables were completed across sensing, control, actuation, and risk assessment.

Audience

Who needs this

Appliance and white goods manufacturers with mixed human-robot assembly linesElectronics contract manufacturers needing frequent line reconfigurationFood packaging companies automating manual packaging stationsSystem integrators building collaborative robot cells for industrial clientsRobot OEMs looking to add advanced safety sensing to their product lines

Business applications

Who can put this to work

White goods and appliance manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Appliance manufacturers with mixed assembly lines

If you are an appliance manufacturer dealing with bottlenecks where robots must slow down around workers — ROSSINI developed a sensor-and-control platform that reduces robot task execution time by 45% while keeping humans safe. Their prototype was built and installed at Schindler, proving it works in a real production environment. This means your collaborative robot cells can approach the speed of fully automated lines without removing people from the process.

Electronics assembly

mid-size

Target: Electronics contract manufacturers needing flexible production

If you are an electronics assembler struggling with frequent product changeovers that require expensive robot reconfiguration — ROSSINI's platform cuts reconfiguration time and cost by 30%. Their smart sensor system detects and tracks humans 70% faster than current solutions, so robots dynamically adjust rather than stopping completely. One of their three demonstrators was specifically built for electronic equipment assembly.

Food packaging

any

Target: Food packaging companies automating manual lines

If you are a food packaging company where workers and robots share tight spaces on packaging lines — ROSSINI built collaborative robot manipulators that increase working speed by 45% when operating near humans. Their risk assessment method also increases allowed robot working speed by 20%, meaning you get more throughput without redesigning your floor layout. Food packaging was one of their three validated demonstrator environments.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this in our factory?

The project did not publish per-unit pricing. However, the platform is designed to retrofit existing industrial robots with new sensors and controls rather than replacing entire lines, which typically costs less than full automation upgrades. Contact the coordinator DATASENSING SRL for commercial terms.

Can this scale to a full production line, not just a single cell?

ROSSINI validated the platform across three different demonstrator environments (white goods, electronics, food packaging) with 15 consortium partners. The system is built as a modular sensor-control-actuation platform, meaning individual components can be deployed cell by cell and expanded. The prototype was installed at Schindler's end-user site for real-world validation.

Who owns the IP, and can we license this technology?

The project was funded as an RIA (Research and Innovation Action) with 15 partners across 7 countries. IP is typically shared among consortium members under their consortium agreement. DATASENSING SRL, the coordinator and a sensor technology company, is the primary commercial contact for licensing discussions.

Does this meet current safety regulations for human-robot collaboration?

ROSSINI specifically developed a new risk assessment procedure based on updated interpretation of collision values. The platform was designed to comply with ISO safety standards for collaborative robots while pushing the performance envelope. Their approach reduces reconfiguration time and cost by 30% partly by streamlining the safety certification process.

How long would it take to integrate this with our existing robots?

Based on available project data, the platform is designed as an open development environment that combines sensing, control, and actuation modules. The 30% reduction in reconfiguration time and cost suggests faster deployment than typical cobot integrations. Exact timelines depend on your current robot setup and would need discussion with the consortium.

What kinds of robots does this work with?

ROSSINI developed its own collaborative robot manipulator as part of the platform, but the sensing and control systems are designed to upgrade existing industrial robots. The goal was to give standard industrial robots — which are faster and stronger than cobots — the safety awareness needed to work alongside humans. The prototype delivered was a low-payload collaborative robot for Schindler.

Consortium

Who built it

ROSSINI's 15-partner consortium across 7 countries is heavily industry-weighted at 73%, which is a strong signal for commercial viability. The coordinator DATASENSING SRL is an Italian sensor technology company — not an academic lab — meaning the project was driven by market needs from day one. With 11 industry partners and 4 SMEs alongside 2 universities and 2 research organizations, this consortium had the manufacturing expertise to build and test in real factory conditions. The involvement of Schindler as an end-user for the prototype demonstrates direct enterprise engagement beyond the typical research circle.

NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
CORE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY OEparticipant · EL
DATALOGIC IP TECH SRLthirdparty · IT
BEKO ITALY MANUFACTURING SRLparticipant · IT
SCUOLA UNIVERSITARIA PROFESSIONALE DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANAparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIAparticipant · IT
CRIT CENTRO DI RICERCA E INNOVAZIONE TECNOLOGICA SRLparticipant · IT
I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE SPAparticipant · IT
IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADAparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

DATASENSING SRL (Italy) — a sensor technology company that led the 15-partner consortium. They are the primary contact for licensing and deployment discussions.

Order a report on this consortium

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how ROSSINI's human-robot collaboration platform could speed up your production lines? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific manufacturing setup.

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