Information magazine of the Department of Industrial Engineering
Università di Trento
Information magazine of the Department of Industrial Engineering
Università di Trento
“I was six years old when I first saw Short Circuit, the film by John Badham. It told the story of a little robot that, after a malfunction, came to life and started exploring the world. Since then, I’ve always thought I’d love to work in robotics. Of course, I was just a kid at the time, but it makes me smile to think that, even though I later discovered how complicated it is to build a robot, my fascination with robotics has never changed. I couldn’t have imagined that, years later, I’d actually be working to bring similar machines to life.”
Growing up with a passion for intelligent robots and Lego always in hand, Nicola is now one of the engineers at Agile Robots, a company specializing in the development of industrial manipulators. “I’ve always considered myself lucky. That fascination with robotics has never changed. Even when I realized how complicated building a robot really is, the desire to do it never left me.”
Unlike many, university wasn’t a moment of revelation for Nicola, but rather a significant step along a path he had already set out on. “Let’s say this started much earlier. Sure, I had professors who inspired me, and university gave me the tools to better define what I had always wanted to achieve.”
After earning his PhD, Nicola joined the team at Agile Robots. He started in the R&D department, working on automating data acquisition procedures and developing numerical optimization algorithms for refining kinematic and dynamic models—in short, robot calibration. “Then I moved to the Dynamics and Control team, where I work on developing the robot’s control system. Starting from sensor readings, I plan the trajectories and generate the signals to send to the drivers and motors for basic movements.”
Today, his role has expanded. Alongside his technical work, Nicola is also the Product Owner for the Motion and Control team, taking on managerial responsibilities in the company’s most innovative projects—a natural evolution marked by new challenges and new rewards. “The part I’m most passionate about is the testing phase. I find it fascinating to see mathematical equations and lines of code come to life in the form of fast and precise movements from the robots we develop.”
But the work isn’t only about enthusiasm and innovation. Nicola explains that challenges come on two fronts. “On one side, there’s the challenge of having dozens of engineers work on the same product. On the other, the technical challenge: bugs that only appear in real-world conditions, at the limits of the mathematical model. Even though the testing procedure is meticulous and structured, sometimes an unexpected error slips through the cracks—it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. These errors are often hard to find and recreate. Usually, after an unusual evolution of a programmed process, we have to work backwards to find the source. This process is often long and requires patience and a strong sense of mathematical abstraction to reconstruct what happened.”
Innovation is at the heart of the industry Nicola works in. “Artificial intelligence has opened the door to a new industrial revolution. Robots won’t just be in factories—they’ll assist us in everyday life, in repetitive or dangerous tasks. I’m particularly fascinated by the rise of humanoids and, more generally, the ability to give a body to a program that previously only operated in a virtual world.”
Innovating also means questioning limits and responsibilities. “The real ethical challenge is not to forget that these tools are made to help us. They shouldn’t replace us, but protect and support us. Like any invention, it all depends on how it’s used. Critical thinking makes the difference. It’s not technology that causes harm—it’s how we use it.” Looking ahead, Nicola sees medical robotics and applications in extreme environments as two key areas of development: “I think of robotic surgery, where precision goes beyond human capability, but also of robots used for inspections in hazardous facilities. Better to risk a robot than a human being.”
At the foundation of it all lies solid technical preparation. “A strong knowledge of programming languages (mainly C++ and Python), mathematical modeling, and analysis of mechatronic structures is essential. But at the same time, patience, teamwork, and time management are fundamental. Ahead of deadlines or special events, these soft skills—and more broadly, knowing when and where to step in to contribute—are just as important as technical expertise.” Not everything came easy, though. “Coming from an industrial engineering background, a solid skill on programming languages was my weak spot. But with the basic knowledge, some patience, and a bit of extra work at home, I gradually made it my own.”
To students who want to approach the world of robotics, Nicola offers a clear message: “Curiosity makes all the difference. It’s what drives you to dig deeper, not settle for surface-level understanding. Even in the toughest subjects, like analysis or structural mechanics, there’s hidden beauty. Once you start mastering these tools, you realize that even math can become something personal—an extension of your creativity.”
Today, Nicola looks to the future with enthusiasm. “I hope this moment of growth, innovation, and momentum continues, so we can build a kind of robotics that improves life for everyone: in work, in health, in the quality of the time we live. What really matters is staying curious. Keep building.”
