Apr. 12 – Take a journey to discover Italian scientific excellence thanks to the exhibition "Italy of the future", a selection of over 20 interactive exhibits that, from April 17^th, will be hosted in the Italian Cultural Institutes in Japan, the United States and Europe. First stop: Tokyo, where the exhibition, thanks to the support of the Embassy, will remain until May 17. The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the National Research Council in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Institute of Biorobotics of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and other institutions. The goal is to spread an image of Italy in which science and technology are the cornerstones of development, highlighting the contribution of the scientific community to the common asset that is the 'Made in Italy' brand, especially in the fields of robotics, particle physics, medicine, transport, archeology and cultural heritage. The exhibition was designed by the Dissemination Section of the Scientific Promotion and Collaboration Development Office (CNR-PSC) on the idea of Manuela Arata. It’s divided into five sections: “A new Made in Italy” - technological devices such as tissues for ‘washing machine zero' (Istec-CNR), electronic sensors for the detection of CO2 in wine bottles (CNR-IFN), and third-generation photovoltaic devices (Cnr Nano and IITs); “Transport” - from the Insean-Cnr division, new models of boat and ship hulls used for hydrodynamic military tests; “Medicine” – with the latest technology for bone implants, 'Bone Aid' (Istec-CNR), and systems for the rehabilitation of the limbs developed by IIT 'Arbot' and 'WristBot'. The Politecnico di Milano is taking care of the “titanium jewelry and paintings” section: "This exhibition is representative of a cross section of Italian scientific research, showing in a creative and intriguing way important and useful research for the growth and improvement of living conditions worldwide. It’s an invitation to support investment in all areas of knowledge, even in times of global crisis," says the president of the CNR Luigi Nicolais. "Italy of the future" is set up by the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo as part of the exhibition "Italy in Japan 2013": the opening will be preceded by a panel discussion on the theme of cooperation in research, scheduled for Tuesday, April 16. On Wednesday the 17^th, the Institute will host the workshop "Research cooperation for the sea of tomorrow", with Italian and Japanese experts. The tour will continue with 2 stops in the U.S., on the occasion of the Year of Italian Culture in San Francisco (July 12 to August 23) and Los Angeles (September 13 to October 10), and finally it will reach Budapest (26 November-18 December), where the exhibition is organized as part of the Year Italo-Hungarian cultural. Smaller editions of the exhibition, with video contributions and touch screens, are also provided in Sofia, Algiers, Tripoli, Toronto, Vancouver and Baghdad.

THE SECTIONS

By the Italian Institute of Technology and Sant’Anna, the 'Robotics' section of the exhibit displays: a copy of the humanoid robot 'iCub', the hydraulic paw of the quadruped robot 'HyQ', the recycling robot 'dustcart', and the prototype of the robotic arm 'Octopus'. "Italian research in high technology cannot be separated from a very close relationship with Japan. Areas such as nanotechnology, robotics and materials see our communities deeply involved in collaboration," said Roberto Cingolani, Scientific Director of the Italian Institute of Technology. "Robotics is the technological answer to the real needs of citizens in an aging society, the need for more intelligent and sustainable environments: our participation is intended to show some tools to enhance progress," said Paolo Dario, director of the Biorobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. In the section devoted to “Archaeology and Cultural Heritage” the National Research Council will present the virtual reconstruction of the Etruscan tomb Regolini-Galassi (ITABC-CNR) and the website of the Virtual Museum of Iraq (Ibam-CNR), as well as an interactive installation on archaeological missions supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The National Institute of Nuclear Physics takes care of “Particle Physics”, with a virtual terminal that allows you to visit the laboratories of Gran Sasso, some of the bricks used in the 'Opera' experiment for the detection of neutrinos, and an interactive exhibit reproducing particle collision.