“The present and future of innovation in Portugal” was the motto of the TECH4INNOV event; INESC TEC participated in this initiative and presented some of the most innovative solutions in sectors like the Sea, Energy, and Industry. Organised by the National Innovation Agency (ANI), on March 29, the event that took place at Europarque (Santa Maria da Feira) aimed to promote technology and knowledge transfer activities.
An underwater vehicle, a quadruped robot and a charging and power conversion panel. At the outset they may not have anything in common; but they were some of the many innovations developed by INESC TEC highlighted during the event. Basically, they are some of the many complementary projects developed within the scope of the Institute’s different areas of strategic activity, and with close connection to business partners – which aim to demonstrate INESC TEC work as an agent of economic and social impact.
MARES (Modular Autonomous Robot for Environment Sampling) is an autonomous submarine, capable of descending to 200 metres and covering 100 kilometres, following predefined trajectories, while recording the collected data. The robot’s modular structure allows the fast reconfiguration, depending on the mission. It can, for example, carry water quality sensors to detect pollution levels or cameras to study the seabed. The great advantage of this submarine robot developed by INESC TEC Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CRAS) is the fact that it does not require an operator: this solution is able to support research teams in certain tasks/missions that could be complex or dangerous to humans.
The Power & Energy panel shows two advanced systems developed by INESC TEC Centre for Power and Energy Systems (CPES): an electric vehicle charging point (EVSE) with bidirectional communication capability, and a hybrid converter for PV production systems – for residential installations -, with advanced control capabilities. It also illustrates some of the technological competencies of the CPES laboratory: electric vehicles and energy efficiency.
The quadruped robot, presented by the Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS), was not limited to the INESC TEC space, and “wandered” throughout the exhibition. Equipped with sensors, this robot features surveillance and monitoring functions, but it can also be used in the manipulation of objects, through the integration of a robotic arm. In fact, the latter is the focus on an ongoing master’s thesis at INESC TEC: “Quadruped manipulator for potential agricultural applications”.
José Manuel Mendonça, Chairman of the Board of Directors of INESC TEC, participated in the event as keynote speaker, with a presentation on “Innovation over the past 30 years”.
In addition to the demonstration spaces, TECH4INNOV also included a set of discussion panels with national and international guests, as well as pitches, masterclasses, and roundtables.
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