About
POP Rob (People-Oriented and Personalized Robotics) is a research group within the Autonomous Robotics research area at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA). Our mission is to close the distance between people and robots. As robots become more and more present in everyday life, in our homes, hospitals, factories, and public spaces, a growing population of non-expert users is asking for machines that are intuitive, responsive, and able to adapt to them, rather than the other way around.
To make our vision of human-centered robotics a reality, we draw on methods from robotic control, machine learning, and artificial intelligence at large. Our current research spans sensor-based control, AI-based robotic perception, human-robot interaction, social robotics, and co-design.
People
Dr. Antonio Paolillo
Senior Researcher,
Head of the Group
Simone Arreghini
PhD Student
News
One paper accepted to the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (check out the publications page).
One paper accepted to the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (check out the publications page).
Two projects have been funded by Eurostars and Innosuisse (stay tuned for more information)!
Two papers accepted to HFR 2026 and one to IROS 2026 (check out the publications page).
Best Paper Award (Robotics Innovation) at the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts (ARSO).
Click on the picture to enlarge.
The paper “Exploring Human-Robot Collaboration: Analysis of Interaction Modalities in Challenging Tasks” by S. Arreghini, C. Iani, A. Giusti, V. Villani, L. Sabattini, A. Paolillo, has been accepted to IFAC WC 2026 (check out the publications page).
The paper “Sixth-Sense: Self-Supervised Learning of Spatial Awareness of Humans from a Planar Lidar” by S. Arreghini, N. Carlotti, M. Nava, A. Paolillo, A. Giusti, has been accepted to ARSO 2026 (check out the publications page).
The paper “User-Tailored Learning to Forecast Walking Modes for Exosuits” by G. Abbate, E. Tricomi, N. Gierden, A. Giusti, L. Masia, A. Paolillo, has been accepted to ICRA 2026 (check out the publications page).
The paper “A Wizard for Kids: A Platform for Improvised Child–Robot Interactions” by D. Frova, M. Landoni, S. Arreghini, and A. Paolillo has been accepted to HRI 2026 (check out the publications page).