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 e Marco Bazzani.
