THE PROJECT
HERO-HUB: from prototype to industrial platform.
HERO-HUB is the Herobots project funded under STEP II, the Campania Region measure for the development and manufacturing of critical technologies. The project consolidates and scales the company’s two proprietary technologies: the HeroSuite software platform, already validated in industrial nuclear programmes with UKAEA, TEPCO and ENEA, and the patented T-BOT tendon-driven joint, already validated in industrial applications with Leonardo. The goal is to turn today’s prototype-oriented setup into an integrated hardware-software industrial platform, able to support scale-up in high-criticality sectors such as nuclear, aerospace, infrastructure and defence.
Control room
HPC workstation and haptic system for virtual commissioning and human-in-the-loop teleoperation.
Composite 3D printing
Structural parts of the T-BOT joint produced in-house by additive manufacturing.
3D metrology
Dimensional inspection and as-built vs as-designed comparison.
PCB line
In-house assembly of electronic boards in small and medium batches.
THE CHALLENGE
A prototype is not a production line.
The performance of T-BOT systems depends directly on tight tolerances, build quality and process repeatability. As long as the core components are manufactured by external suppliers, every batch carries the variability of the supply chain, longer lead times and less control over quality, traceability and IP protection. STEP II funds the step Herobots had not taken yet: bringing the manufacturing and qualification of the core hardware in-house, together with the industrialisation of the control room. What is built in the lab today gets produced, measured and commissioned in-house tomorrow.
HEROBOTS IN THE PROJECT
Two lines of work, three use cases.
Herobots is the sole applicant and is responsible for the whole project, from requirements definition to industrial validation. The work is organised in six work packages along two complementary lines, and the platform is validated on three Representative Test Articles, one for each application sector.
Software, data and teleoperation
HeroSuite evolves towards multi-robot scenarios, with digital twins calibrated on real data, Physical AI modules, human-in-the-loop haptic teleoperation and virtual commissioning.
In-house manufacturing and qualification
Composite additive manufacturing for the T-BOT joint components, a PCB assembly line for the control electronics, and 3D metrology to qualify critical components.
APR-1 · Water networks
Inspection and maintenance in confined spaces such as pipes and ducts.
APR-2 · Nuclear
Decommissioning, remote reactor assembly, and maintenance in fusion reactors and glove boxes.
APR-3 · Aerospace
Inspection, maintenance and manufacturing in confined volumes.
EXPECTED RESULTS
What the project leaves behind.
The project strengthens the Campania aerospace supply chain on advanced robotics, an area still little covered, and contributes to a more autonomous European supply chain for robotics in extreme environments. It includes two new hires of qualified profiles and moving two existing staff members to permanent contracts.
Three validated use cases
The integrated hardware-software platform validated reproducibly on water networks, nuclear and aerospace.
T-BOT pilot series
T-BOT components and joints produced in-house in composite, with dimensional and functional checks, and actuation modules with control electronics.
Herobots control room
Advanced workstation and haptic device for virtual commissioning of robotic systems for extreme applications.
Qualifiable process
Design guidelines for additive manufacturing, a tracked process window, metrology inspections and non-conformity management.
HeroSuite and Physical AI
Supervision, diagnostics and haptic teleoperation with safety constraints, and a real-data pipeline for Physical AI modules.
New services
In-house production and qualification of T-BOT components, and a remote control, teleoperation and supervision offer for third parties.
PROJECT IN NUMBERS
PARTNERS / FUNDING
Project co-funded by the European Union under the PR Campania FESR 2021-2027 (ERDF).
Funding
PR Campania FESR 2021-2027, Action 1.6.1, STEP – II edition.
Admitted to funding by Decree D.D. no. 401 of 16/09/2026.
CUP: B67H26001650004
Grant awarded
€793,635.47 out of €1,085,732.18 of eligible costs.
Project
HERO-HUB.
From 01/09/2026 to 31/08/2028 (24 months).
Our role
Sole applicant and project lead.