The University of Calabria (UNICAL), situated in Southern Italy, is a public university which aims to enrich the cultural progress in the fields of human, economic and technological sciences. UNICAL promotes scientific and educational excellence and puts in place, at all organisational levels, assessment actions of structures, faculty and managerial, technical, administrative and librarians’ staff as well as external collaborators. UNICAL has always been distinguished for its special attention to the quality of innovation in research and education, internationalisation and variety of study programs.
UNICAL participates in the uBlueTec project through two departments: Department of Mechanical, Energy, and Management Engineering (DIMEG) and Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST).
The Department of Mechanical, Energy, and Management Engineering – DIMEG has great expertise in the development of technologies and methods for supporting the monitoring, conservation, and exploitation of the underwater natural and cultural heritage. In particular, it has obtained excellent results in numerous research projects, in the development of new technologies for the digitization and exploitation of the submerged sites in virtual and augmented reality environments, and in the implementation of systems and methodologies to build geo-referenced 3D models of underwater archaeological and natural sites.
The Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences – DiBEST carries out scientific work in the fields of biology, sustainable management, biodiversity, and cultural and historical heritage and landscape. In particular, the research group of Cultural Heritage (CH) at DiBEST carries out research activity inherent in the application of scientific techniques aimed at the characterization, protection and conservation of the cultural heritage, and over the past decade, numerous threads of study have been developed in the fields of Archaeometry, Geosciences, Diagnostics and Conservation with applications in both subaerial and marine environments.
UNICAL team
LORIS BARBIERI
Associate professor of Design and Methods of Industrial Engineering at the Department of Mechanical, Energy, and Management Engineering (DIMEG), University of Calabria.
His main research activities concern on extended reality techniques and their application in industrial design and cultural heritage; underwater 3D reconstruction techniques based on optical systems; underwater mechatronics and robotics with a focus on the development of new tools for the protection of underwater cultural heritage. He is co-founder of a spin-off company of the University of Calabria that operates in the development of underwater technologies.
MICHELA RICCA
Graduated in Science and Technology applied to cultural heritage in 2011, PhD in Earth Science applied to cultural heritage in 2015, since 2019 she is researcher at the Department of Biology, Ecology, and Earth Sciences (DiBEST).
Her research interests concern rchaeometry and diagnostic investigations on materials, in the field of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage. She is involved in different national and international projects, and she is covering different roles as member of different commission at the Conservation and Restoration master degree at University of Calabria.
FABIO BRUNO
Full professor of Design and Methods of Industrial Engineering at the Department of Mechanical, Energy, and Management Engineering (DIMEG), University of Calabria.
His research interests include underwater mechatronics and robotics; underwater 3D reconstruction techniques based on optical systems and acoustic sensors; virtual and augmented reality techniques and their application in industrial design and underwater cultural heritage. He has and had leading roles in various national and European research projects targeted at the development of CG/VR/AR technologies for the exploitation of the UCH.
MAURO LA RUSSA
He is full professor at the Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) and the president of the Italian Archaeometric Society, the main Italian association of scholars and researchers working in the field of scientific applications to Cultural Heritage Assets. From 2020 he is in charge such as rector delegate for the high formation. He covered several roles as coordinator of national and international project, and he is coordinator of a Phd School at UNICAL. His research interests include different aspects related to cultural Heritage and environment.
MAURIZIO MUZZUPAPPA
Full professor of Design and Methods of Industrial Engineering at the Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering (DIMEG), University of Calabria.
He is responsible for the UNICAL technology transfer office. He covered several roles as coordinator of Bachelor, Master, and Specialization Courses at UNICAL. His research interests include design methods; reverse engineering for terrestrial and underwater applications; design for sustainability; design for rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing technologies.
LUIGI DE NAPOLI
Associate professor of Design and Methods of Industrial Engineering at the Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering (DIMEG), University of Calabria.
His research interests include reverse engineering and geometric modeling; geometry inspection; product design and development methods; bioengineering and eco-design. He is founding member and CEO of a Spin-Off of UNICAL, DNMP-Research New Technologies srls.