At the end of October, the HARTU consortium reached another key milestone with the real-world testing of its food-sector use case at CentroLazio.

With the participation of partners Tekniker (TEK), TecnoAlimenti (TCA), and Deep Blue srl (DBL), the tests marked a major step in validating how HARTU’s technologies perform beyond the lab into the dynamic and complex environment of an operational production setting.

Over two days, several operators took part in live sessions where they worked side by side with a collaborative robot and the App Manager developed within the project. The focus was not only on evaluating the technical aspects of the new workflow, but also on understanding operators’ perception, trust, and acceptance of the robot as a true co-worker.

Researchers observed participants as they performed new tasks using the system, followed by surveys and interviews to capture their feedback and impressions. The results were highly encouraging: operators expressed enthusiasm and curiosity, were impressed by the robot’s capabilities, and reported feeling comfortable and safe working alongside it, a strong indicator of growing trust in collaborative automation.

The testing phase concluded with a closing event on October 30, where TEK, TCA, DBL, and Omnigrasp gathered to discuss insights, lessons learned, and the next steps for the use case’s validation.

This real-world testing represents a crucial achievement for HARTU, showing how technology designed with a human-centered approach can foster not only efficiency and innovation, but also trust, safety, and engagement among workers.

As the project enters its final months, the outcomes of these tests will feed into further analysis and dissemination activities, helping shape the future of smart, flexible, and human-centric manufacturing.

Images credits: Deep Blue x HARTU