The SENTINEL project aims to develop an innovative solution that assists human operators in monitoring and identifying anomalous events in environmental and urban settings, such as traffic monitoring, public space supervision, and violation detection. The project’s primary output will be a software platform that integrates advanced computer vision and deep learning algorithms with heuristics for real-time video analysis. This system will enhance operator efficiency by automatically detecting and highlighting critical events, thereby reducing the need for constant human surveillance. With this solution, existing surveillance resources will be optimized by intelligently filtering and storing relevant data, offering a market-ready product for private and public sectors.
The University of Cagliari, the largest in Sardinia with over 25,000 students and 1,900 staff, is a major regional hub for higher education and research. Their role in the SENTINEL project involves developing advanced object detection and tracking algorithms, as well as rule-based heuristics for identifying anomalous behaviors in urban and environmental surveillance, using deep learning and computer vision.
Visioscientiae is a spin-off of the University of Cagliari, rooted in the deep expertise and experience of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in the research, development, and deployment of industrial software platforms. Their role in the SENTINEL project involves defining project requirements, developing the frontend-backend infrastructure, and leading integration, testing, and experimentation.
I am leading the entire project from requirements definition through experimentation and deployment. On the research side, I am guiding the creation of both virtual and real-world datasets and tools for detecting 3D objects using standard cameras. These tools are used for monitoring traffic and public areas, and for identifying unusual patterns, such as vehicles going the wrong way or accidents.
The project has been funded under the program "Aiuti per Progetti di Ricerca e Sviluppo - Settore ICT" by Sardegna Ricerche and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia - CUP: G27H23000140002.
The PHaSE project is focused on promoting healthier and more sustainable eating habits. While we all know that eating healthy is important for our well-being and disease prevention, there is a growing need to consider the impact of our food choices on the environment. To help guide people towards making better food choices, the project will combine two powerful tools: recommender systems and conversational agents. Recommender systems are already known for influencing users' choices and helping them make better decisions. When combined with conversational agents, which allow users to interact using natural language, the effectiveness of these recommendations can be greatly enhanced. The project will develop innovative methods that integrate natural language generation, question answering, and recommendation algorithms into a conversational agent. This agent will enable users to ask questions about the healthiness and sustainability of recipes, find sustainable ingredient substitutes, and receive personalized recommendations for healthy and sustainable recipes tailored to their needs. The system will use persuasive dialogue strategies to make the recommendations more convincing and transparent. The effectiveness of this approach will be tested through a study involving users, aiming to raise awareness and perceptions about responsible food consumption.
The University of Bari Aldo Moro is a public higher education institution founded in 1925, with a student population of around 60,000. Their role in the PHaSE project involves applying natural language processing and developing the conversational agent.
The University of Cagliari, the largest in Sardinia with over 25,000 students and 1,900 staff, is a major regional hub for higher education and research. Their role in the PHaSE project involves designing and developing recommendation algorithms that will be integrated into the conversational agent.
The University of Turin is a public research university in the city of Turin, with a population of about 80,000 students. Their role in the PHaSE project the co-design and evaluation of the solution, drawing on their experience in multidisciplinary projects that focus on the assessment and co-design of interacting systems and conversational agents.
I am involved in creating graphs that integrate information about recipes and their health and sustainability values, as well as citizens' interactions with these recipes. Using this data, I am supporting the development of language models which perform path reasoning over the graph to offer both recommendations and explanations.
The project has been funded by Italian Ministry of University and Research under the PRIN 2022 program - CUP H53D23003530006.
The InDi project aims to develop an open-source search engine that integrates concepts such as explainability, human-in-the-loop, anonymity, fairness, and inclusiveness. Technically, InDi will leverage AI and NLP to re-rank search results and provide textual explanations for these re-rankings. From a human perspective, InDi will depend on a community of voluntary reviewers and validators who will manually assess questionable AI re-rankings and either accept or reject them, enhancing InDi's knowledge base for future queries. A blockchain mechanism will ensure that the review process is both fair and anonymous. To incentivize reviewers, InDi will offer crypto-assets as rewards, initially with a purely moral value but potentially gaining extrinsic value over time, similar to Bitcoin.
The University of Cagliari, the largest in Sardinia with over 25,000 students and 1,900 staff, is a major regional hub for higher education and research. Their role in the InDi project involves developing advanced object detection and tracking algorithms, as well as rule-based heuristics for identifying anomalous behaviors in urban and environmental surveillance, using deep learning and computer vision.
R2M Solution is an integrated and multi-disciplinary consulting company that aggressively targets filling the gap between research activities and market implementation. Their role in the InDI project involves involves developing the search engine's business model, identifying market opportunities, engaging stakeholders, activating and integrating the web portal, and managing user engagement and final validation.
I am contributing to the design and experimentation of explainable classifiers based on language models to identify and explain biases in web content. Additionally, I am involved in integrating these classifiers into the search engine and implementing filtering and re-ranking of results based on policies derived from classifiers' outputs.
The project has been funded within the framework of NGI Search - 3rd Open Call, supported by the European Commission as part of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement N° 101069364.
The EDVANCE project aims to deliver high-quality digital education to university students and workers nationwide, addressing barriers related to location, social conditions, family or work situations. It will use online and blended learning strategies with micro-credentials to support inter-university pathways and academic recognition of online courses. The focus is on enhancing advanced digital skills with a transdisciplinary approach, including data management, artificial intelligence, and digital sustainability, integrating these with economic, social, and creative fields through collaboration with educational institutions and industry partners. The quality of MOOCs will be ensured through guidelines and tools based on artificial intelligence, with continuous monitoring. To ensure future sustainability and involvement from all universities, a digital ecosystem will be developed with a central hub portal, integrating university MOOC platforms and managing micro-credentials to create an accessible and cohesive learning environment.
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna is a prestigious institution renowned for its art education and creative training. It offers a range of programs that cultivate artistic talent and critical thinking.
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia is celebrated for its fine arts programs and historical significance in art education. It provides comprehensive training in visual arts, fostering both traditional and contemporary skills.
Bocconi University in Milan is a leading institution specializing in economics, management, and finance. Known for its rigorous academic programs, it is highly regarded for its research and industry connections.
Ca' Foscari University of Venice excels in humanities, social sciences, and environmental studies. It combines a rich academic tradition with innovative research initiatives.
The Conservatorio di Musica di Cagliari is a prominent music conservatory known for its exceptional music programs. It offers in-depth training in performance, theory, and composition.
Humanitas University is dedicated to health and biomedical sciences, focusing on innovative medical education. It is renowned for its research and clinical training in the healthcare sector.
The Milano Civica Scuola di Musica is an esteemed institution for music education in Milan. It provides high-quality training in various musical disciplines, promoting artistic excellence.
Politecnico di Milano is a top technical university recognized for its excellence in engineering and architecture. It is renowned for its cutting-edge research and strong industry connections.
Politecnico di Torino is distinguished for its expertise in engineering and technological innovation. It is a leader in research and development, with a strong focus on applied sciences.
The University of Bologna is one of the oldest universities in Europe, known for its rich academic heritage. It offers a diverse range of programs and is a hub for research and innovation.
The University of Cagliari is the largest institution in Sardinia, serving over 25,000 students and 1,900 staff. It is a key regional center for higher education and research across various disciplines.
The University of Macerata is known for its strong emphasis on cultural and social sciences. It offers a broad range of academic programs with a focus on interdisciplinary research.
The University of Messina offers a wide range of academic programs and is recognized for its commitment to research and education. It plays a significant role in the regional development of higher education.
The University of Pisa is renowned for its historical significance and strong focus on scientific research. It is a leading institution in Italy, known for its academic excellence and innovative research.
The University of Trento is a prestigious institution known for its high-quality research and academic programs. It is recognized for its contributions to various fields and its innovative teaching approaches.
The University of Turin is a prominent institution offering a broad range of academic programs. It is well-regarded for its research activities and strong academic traditions.
I am leading three local units: one focused on developing the learning management system, another on selecting and implementing supportive learning tools, and a third on applying artificial intelligence tools to assist learners and teachers. For the latter, I am specifically leading research on conversational interfaces powered by large language models.
The project has been funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), specifically through Mission 4 "Education and Research", Component 1 "Enhancement of Educational Services: from Nursery Schools to Universities", Investment 3.4 "University Teaching and Advanced Skills", and Sub-Investment 3 "Digital Education Hubs (DEH)".
The project seeks to integrate business and scientific research, address the social impacts of the crisis, and enhance regional inclusivity in Sardinia. It aims to foster innovation, facilitate technology transfer, engage local communities in sustainable development, and transition the region towards a knowledge-based economy. The ecosystem is managed by a central Hub and is structured around 10 thematic Spokes, each representing a core sector of Sardinian scientific inquiry: medicine, tourism and cultural heritage, agriVet, finance and credit, aerospace, energy, digital transformation, mobility, environmental goods, and biopharmacology. Specifically, Spoke 6 is dedicated to advancing the research and implementation of advanced digital transformation models within Sardinia, promoting collaboration between researchers and local stakeholders to ensure enduring regional benefits. This Spoke involves applied research tailored to local requirements, aiming to stimulate entrepreneurial growth, and produces an innovation hub along with a suite of digital technologies. It addresses multiple application domains, including urban technologies, tourism, manufacturing, healthcare, lifelong learning, aging, and quality of life.
The University of Cagliari is the largest institution in Sardinia, serving over 25,000 students and 1,900 staff. Their role in the eINS Spoke 6 project involves creating and experimenting with intelligent methods for responsible social systems, personalized learning, immersive tourism, pervasive healthcare, and reliable production.
Accenture is a global professional services company with advanced capabilities in digital, cloud, and security. Their role in the eINS Spoke 6 project involves building research spaces, managing digital infrastructure for prototyping, developing advanced digital prototypes, and engaging in targeted communication and dissemination activities.
The University of Sassari, a public institution founded in 1562 and based in Sassari, Italy, is organized into 13 departments and serves around 2,000 students. Their role in the eINS Spoke 6 project involves developing pervasive prediction and intervention frameworks aimed at enhancing quality of life for aging populations.
I am leading a local unit focused on digital transformation in lifelong learning. My guidance role spans from identifying key educational scenarios, contexts, and needs to developing innovative approaches and tools for competence development and personalized learning based on knowledge graphs and language models.
The project has been funded the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.1 - Call for tender No. 3277, published on December 30, 2021, by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU. Project Code ECS0000038 – Project Title eINS Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia – Grant Assignment Decree No. 1056 adopted on June 23, 2022, by the MUR - CUP F53C22000430001.
I’m excited to share that my new website dedicated to my research and academic work will be launching soon! The upcoming site will feature an updated look, streamlined access to my publications, and the latest updates on my research projects. This platform aims to enhance the accessibility and presentation of my work, providing valuable resources and insights for the research community. Stay tuned for the launch and visit to explore the new features and content!
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The University of Cagliari is a leading institution with international expertise in computer science, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. Our research unit consistently publishes in top-tier journals and presents at highly-ranked conferences, reflecting our commitment to advancing the field. We are also involved in spin-offs that offer students hands-on, business-oriented experience, and we maintain active collaborations with numerous universities, research institutes, and companies. You will have the opportunity to attend international conferences and schools, where you can present your research. You will have access to extensive computing resources with NVIDIA A6000 and A30 GPUs.
Situated in Cagliari, the capital and largest city of Sardinia, Italy, our university offers a combination of academic excellence and exceptional quality of life. Nestled on the stunning Mediterranean coast of southern Europe, Cagliari is a vibrant and culturally rich city, renowned for its picturesque historical districts, sophisticated shopping streets, and breathtaking panoramic terraces. The city enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate year-round and boasts connectivity, with an international airport a quick 5-minute train ride.
