A lesson in advanced robotics

Starting June 23, 2025, simultaneously online and in bookstores, comes the project signed by Springer Nature and Federica Web Learning that revolutionizes the study of robotics. An integrated path founded on the unprecedented MOOC&BOOK formula, an innovative educational format that blends the immediacy of multimedia learning with the rigor of in-depth study of the classic science textbook.

The four-volume "Robotics Goes MOOC" series published by Springer Nature is joined by a series of free online "Robotics & Robots" courses available to all on federica.eu to provide unprecedented access to the most advanced robotics content. The project was created under the scientific direction of Professor Bruno Siciliano, among the top international experts in the field, with the contribution of more than thirty teams of world-renowned scholars and researchers.

Designed for graduates and doctoral students in engineering and applied sciences, researchers in robotics and scientists from related disciplines, startuppers and entrepreneurs active in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence, the project combines a solid theoretical framework with digital tools geared toward advanced training and concrete application.

The project takes shape after a workshop organized at Springer headquarters in Heidelberg, one year after the publication of the second edition of the Springer Handbook of Robotics, edited by Bruno Siciliano, professor of robotics at the University of Naples Federico II, together with Oussama Khatib, director of the Stanford Robotics Center.

"The experience of the Handbook prompted us to imagine a new way of sharing robotic knowledge, more accessible but equally rigorous: that's where the idea of Robotics Goes MOOC came from,"says Professor Siciliano, "combining it with the experience of multimedia teaching of the Federica Web Learning University Center. With Robotics Goes MOOC we wanted to overcome the limits of the traditional handbook, offering a cross-sectional vision of modern robotics articulated in four key paradigms. The content is designed to dialogue with new scientific communities with respect to different application contexts. In keeping with the idea that today's most significant innovations occur at the intersection of different disciplines, it is there that robotics finds new stimulation and direction.

What really distinguishes this project from what already exists in the literature is its integration with dedicated MOOC courses. The content of the volumes is accompanied by video lectures by the authors with supporting materials designed to guide and reinforce understanding of the content."

""Robotics & Robots" ushers in a revolutionary educational format that overcomes traditional learning barriers by offering an integrated ecosystem of knowledge to anyone who wants to delve into the various, increasingly topical issues of robotics," explains Professor Fortunato Musella, director of the Federica Web Learning Center. - The project represents a new standard in digital education at the international level. In a world where robotics represents one of the most promising frontiers of innovation, "Robotics & Robots" is the bridge to new opportunities, a chance to turn passion for technology into concrete skills."

The MOOC&BOOK course structure is divided into two courses:

- Robotics in a Nutshell introduces the fundamentals of robotics: representing the environment through models, interpreting sensory data and transforming them into actions through intelligent robotic systems;

- Robots in Action analyzes the interaction between robots and the environment, with a focus on practical applications and the social, ethical, and operational impact of robotics in real-world contexts.

In parallel, volumes in the"Robotics Goes MOOC" series delve into the four conceptual pillars on which modern robotics is based:

- Knowledge: theoretical foundations of robotics: mechatronics, sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, intelligent control;

- Design : principles of robot design: soft robots, bioinspired robots, locomotion mechanisms, and robotic architectures;

- Interaction: technologies and methodologies for human-machine interaction: cooperative manipulation, digital and physical interfaces, wearable robotics;

- Impact: applications and impact of robotics in areas such as industry, medicine, extreme environments and emergency settings, with a focus on ethical and social aspects.

One part of the initiative is particularly devoted to the convergence of robotics and artificial intelligence, with a focus on so-called "physical AI" or that form of intelligence embodied in machines capable of performing physical actions to support everyday human activities. Physical assistance to elderly or frail people, reduction of risks and fatigue at work, improvement of production processes and their sustainability, safety and efficiency in transportation, along with advances in diagnostics and surgery, are just some of the areas where the new InterAction Technology is indispensable.

 

For information:

Robotics & Robots

Robotics Goes MOOC