For the past few weeks, a rather unusual “colleague” has been roaming around our offices in Turin. His name is TEO, he has a humanoid design and an expressive face that doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s friendly, curious… and moves on wheels!
TEO is an assistive robot we’re training for a broader project focused on caring and support for people, especially older adults and caregivers. To do this, we’ve chosen to test his abilities in a real-world environment: our own.
His presence here is part of an experiment in human–robot interaction. Over the course of a year, TEO will explore, learn, and sharpen his skills.
So far, he’s learned to:
- move autonomously (but always gives way to humans),
- detect and avoid obstacles and people using 360° sensors,
- emit soft sounds to make himself noticed while moving,
- guide people along set paths, just like a little robotic tour guide,
- respond to simple questions… in over 30 languages!
TEO doesn’t record, photograph, or recognize faces: your privacy is safe, and interacting with him is entirely optional. TEO watches, communicates, and adapts. He represents our way of bringing technology closer to people — and testing its real potential in everyday life.
Come visit us, you might be welcomed by TEO himself… maybe even dancing to a Dua Lipa track!
TEO is looked after every day by a dedicated team, always ready to support (and recharge) him when needed: Sergio Micalizzi, Alessio Buttitta, Marika Alecci, Marianna Navarra, Salvatore Perri, Gianluca Toscano, Veronica Re , Marco Bazzani.
