ALTO Robotics
Developing an Intelligent Mobile Robot
for Industry 5.0
The technological start-up ALTO ROBOTICS enlisted our team to support the development of a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) business model and proof of concept to serve promising new clients. Their request was grounded in the belief that advanced technologies must be harnessed to enhance human activities and enable their evolution in complex and dynamic industrial environments.
To transform this cutting-edge vision into a revolutionary and practical solution, our designers worked closely with ALTO ROBOTICS throughout the entire project, leading the following activities.
- Co-designing RaaS business concept
- Defining the robot product-service ecosystem
- Developing the product concept design
- Integrating the robot’s personality with its technical functions by defining its behavioral characteristics
- Designing the relational interface
- Creating the UX/UI concept design
Tackling this challenge involved conducting research, identifying new business opportunities and prototyping the value proposition with detailed use cases. Using design tools, business experiments were defined and conducted across various industries. This helped shape the business opportunity, pinpointing the manufacturing sector for the on-site proof of concept (POC). Our multidisciplinary team conducted a joint field research to deepen understanding of the context and comprehension of the logics and connections between all touchpoints and users. The conceptual work was thus transformed into a tangible solution.
To provide a clear schematic of the solution key elements, a product-service ecosystem map was created illustrating the relationship between robots and their users, and their evolution over time. The map explored key functional behaviors, data requirements, and interactions between the ecosystem elements. This mapping helped create a shared vision from both business and technical perspectives, while detailing the transition from an MVP to a complete, long-term implementation.
“Since the robot operates in a non-automated industrial setting with frequent human interaction, the design focused on ergonomics and sensor placement.
Early studies and volumetric mockups helped nail down the form factor and allowed real users to test it, giving insights on comfort, modularity, acceptance and how well the robot could work as an assistant or coworker.”
Matteo Smorgon
Senior Product Designer
“The outcomes of our multifaceted design work came together in a humanized and scalable solution, conceived to be accepted as a facilitator.
Node became a fast-to-deploy solution for transportation of material & semi-finished
parts and data acquisition requiring no training or infrastructural changes.”
Sara Bellini
Chief Product Officer at Alto Robotics
Node
Designed to work alongside humans, the robot’s intuitive behavior adapts to workers’ needs anticipating the next best action.
Node can be used by operators as soon as they pull it out of its box and can be reconfigured via touchscreen or wareable. It can be integrate in asset handling, intra logitics, quality assurance, maintenanc, line ramp-up, commissioning etc…
Node’s dashboard constantly informs warehouse managers on opportunities for continuous improvement of processes and waste reductions.
With an advanced sensor network, 4 depth cameras, 3D 360° lidar, safety radars, proximity sensors, Node guarantees safe navigation. Equipped with steering wheels the robot is suitable for non-structured environments.
After detailing the functionalities, we designed an intuitive user experience and interface that facilitates seamless interaction and communication with Node.
This approach enhanced the ALTO ROBOTICS’ visual grammar by integrating the physical robot’s forms and colors into a cohesive visual style, complemented by specially designed animations that maintain consistency across both the robot’s interface and the remote controller.
The activity served as the blueprint of the concept’s final developments.
