The Robot and Us ― An 'antidisciplinary' Perspective on the Scientific and Social Impacts of Robotics

This book offers a clear, yet comprehensive overview of the role of robots in our society. It especially focuses on the interaction between humans and robots, and on the social and political aspects of the integration of robots with humans, in their everyday life, both in the private and working sphere alike. Based on the lessons held by the author at “Scuola di Politiche” (transl. School of Political Sciences), this self-contained book mainly addresses an educated, though not-specialist, audience.

Maria Chiara Carrozza is Professor of Industrial Bioengineering at The Biorobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy, where she served as Rector from 2007 to 2013. Since January 2018, she is Scientific Director of Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi an Italian Research Hospital dedicated to Rehabilitation and Personal Assistance. She currently serves as President of the National Group of Bioengineering. She has teaching and research experience in several Institutions in Italy, Europe, USA, Japan, Korea, China. She is also a member of the Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE-RAS) and of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology (IEEE-EMBC). Maria Chiara Carrozza was principal investigator and coordinator of several international research projects, funded by the European Union. From 2016 to 2017 she was Chair of the Interim Evaluation of the Future Emerging Technology Flagship Program and Member of the Steering Committee of the Quantum Technology Flagship for the European Commission. She also holds several patents and is involved in projects for supporting technology based innovation. She is Founding Partner of IUVO srl, a start-up active in Wearable Robotics. Since 2015 she is Independent Director of Piaggio SpA. She has been a Member of the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) of the Italian Parliament from 2013 to 2017 serving in the Committee of Foreign and European Affairs. She was Minister of Education, University and Research from April 28, 2013 to February 22, 2014