It has been started today the LOGIS project, born to increase safety in port areas. Thanks to the fundamental contribution of the Tuscany Region (LOGIS is among the 2012 R&D granted projects) innovative systems will be developed to help drivers of reach-stakers and forklifts avoiding accidents with ground personnel. Due to the distraction and fatigue of personnel, every year a number of serious accidents is registered in Italian and Worldwide ports. The big and heavy vehicles (their empty weight can reach even 100 tons) used to move containers around the port usually have large blind spots. In case a ground operator enters into one of these portions, the risk of accidental collision rapidly increases, because the human driver cannot see him. Automatic People Detectors will be developed by the LOGIS consortium and integrated to the vehicles as a supplemental artificial eye, capable of identifying ground people by using the most advanced artificial vision techniques. System features will include pedestrian’s distance estimation, so different alerts (audio, visual) will be used to warn the driver in different situations. In case of fatal injury risk, the vehicle will come to an automatic stop.

The LOGIS project involves Port Technical Service (Coordinator), Pitom (Innovation&Technology Responsible) and Puccioni Vasco (Carpentry Responsible), and will end in June 2015.

Go to the LOGIS website

PITOM has been awarded by Nòva24 - Il Sole 24 Ore as a finalist of the Italian Mechatronics Award, come to its sixth edition. PITOM is the only start-up among the 5 finalists in the Award, and has proudly competed with companies such as Corghi spa, winner of the Prize, founded in 1954, and world leader in the production of equipment for tire and auto repair shops, 700 employees with a turnover of 125 million euro in 2011.

The Industrial Association of the Province of Reggio Emilia decided to set up the prestigious award in the belief that the field of mechatronics is a major driver of the development of Italian engineering companies, with the intention of highlighting the companies, with mechatronic solutions, that were able to develop innovative products creating real distinctive competitive advantage in international markets. Last year the prize was awarded to Health Robotics and previous editions to Prima Industrie, Carlo Gavazzi Space, System and Brembo.

Sole24Ore article

PITOM has participated today in the Start to Business Nautica event, a meeting among the "big players" in Italian nautical industry and high-tech companies. The initiative, held within the 52nd Genoa International Boat Show and launched by the Quinn Consortium, UCINA, CDI Manager, and the Chamber of Commerce of Pisa, saw PITOM presenting the SPHERA project in front of a very interested public. SPHERA, an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) able to navigate autonomously and perform Dynamic Positioning in depth, with a highly innovative design and functionality, is a concept developed in partnership with High Engineering, a Tuscan company leader in the field of 3D modeling for Marine, Terrestrial and Aerospace applications. 

On 2 October 2012, the creation of ASSORPAS (Associazione Italiana per I Light RPAS), the new Italian national association for Light RPAS (MTOM <150 kg), was formally announced.

The founding members of ASSORPAS comprise 15 Italian companies, consisting of 6 system integrators/manufacturers, 6 RPAS operators, 3 sub-system/sensor manufacturers, namely: Advanced Aviation Technology, Aermatica, Aeroriprese, Aibotix Italia, Aslatech, Cons.Ticonzero, Filmer, Flighttech Italia, Iptsat, Neutech, NTA Italdron, PITOM, Vireal, Volovisione, Conte Gianpaolo. PITOM is the only company that manufactures autopilots within ASSORPAS.

ASSORPAS is registered in Milan and has as objective to represent the Italian Light RPAS community [manufacturers (at system & sub-system level) & operators] and to promote the safe and responsible use of Light RPAS in Italy. It will maintain close relations with the Italian civil aviation authority (ENAC).

The association has become a member of UVS International’s International Coordination Council (ICC), and the association’s members will be actively participating in EUROCAE WG93 on Light RPAS. An ASSORPAS working group has been established to address the WG93 work packages (in Italian) and to supply consensually agreed national inputs (in English) to WG93. ASSORPAS will endeavour to coordinate its activities and cooperate with the other European national associations and to be actively involved in all European initiatives relevant to Light RPAS.

Go to ASSORPAS website