When in Rome, meet the robot: Adriano tells 2,000-year-old tales

Officially launched on March 27 2025, Adriano is a soft-robotics creation developed by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Cube Robotics, and Sapienza University, commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce of Rome.

With lifelike facial expressions, elastic joints, and soft robotic hands, Adriano can shake hands and even hug visitors, offering a far more humanlike interaction than traditional machines. "He is compliant, let’s say he is soft," explained Giovanni Rosado, a robotic engineer at IIT. "We developed this robotics in our laboratory called Soft Robotics for a reason." Adriano is equipped with 36 sensors to allow it to self-localise and move smoothly within the historic environment, and it currently speaks both Italian and English, with additional languages planned.

Designed to serve as a digital storyteller, Adriano offers insights into the lives of Empress Vibia Sabina and Emperor Hadrian, as well as the artworks found at the temple. "I am robot Adriano, the first employee robot of the Chamber of Commerce of Rome," it introduces itself to visitors. "I am here to assist visitors with information… as well as to provide guidance on artworks and artists."

The robot’s arms use motors that mimic human muscles, a feature developed by Cube Robotics. Visitors are encouraged to interact — even physically — with the robot, as its structure avoids the rigidity and potential danger of industrial machines. Looking ahead, developers plan to expand Adriano’s reach through virtual reality, allowing people around the world to tour the temple remotely.

As Lorenzo Tagliavanti, president of Rome’s Chamber of Commerce, put it: "We want to carry the greatness of Rome for another 2,000 years… by using new technologies making it possible to tell a story that is always the same, but which spans centuries and millennia."