Climate, robotics and exoskeletons for the 4 CROSS 2025 projects
CROSS 2025 © iStock - beekeepx
The CROSS (Collaborative Research on Science and Society) program unveils the four winners of its 2025 call for projects. These projects combine the natural sciences and engineering with the humanities and social sciences to address some of society's most pressing challenges.
Jointly supported by EPFL and the University of Lausanne, the CROSS program encourages interdisciplinary projects led by teams of researchers from EPFL and UNIL. The projects address topical societal and technological issues, and aim to become large-scale interdisciplinary research in the future.
The selected 2025 CROSS projects focus on the effects of climate change in urban environments, as well as in the fjords of southern Greenland. They also study human perception and behavior towards different types of assistive robots, as well as the effects of the use of hip exoskeletons on the quality of life of the elderly.
Each project will receive up to 60,000 Swiss francs, divided between the two institutions.
In December 2024, a presentation and discussion event will offer an overview of the results of the projects supported by the CROSS program over the past 3 years. Stay tuned!
2025 CROSS PROJECTS
Social-physical planning for future climate-resilient cities
- Prof. MANOLI Gabriele (IA - URBES - ENAC)
- Prof. PELEG Nadev (IDYST - FGSE)
Climate-related risks are on the rise in urban areas. These risks can be reduced through the planning of greener cities. In the project, physical models and social planning demands will be integrated to optimize the planning of future cities under these two, sometimes competing, factors.
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“Nattoralik”: A balloon on a quest to comprehend the mysteries of “Sila”
- Prof. SCHMALE Julia (IIE - EERL - ENAC)
- Prof. CHANTELOUP Laine (CIRM - IGD - FGSE)
This interdisciplinary project aims to enhance our understanding of climate change in the fjords of southern Greenland. It brings together research on the atmospheric processes that lead to local meteorological perceptions, air pollution issues and climate forcing.
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Study on social perception of soft and rigid robots for assistive tasks
- Prof. HUGHES Josie (CREATE - STI)
- Prof. SCHMID MAST Marianne (HEC Lausanne)
Soft robots are inherently compliant and have potential uses for assistive robotics. We propose to apply social science methods to study human perception and behaviors toward different types of robots and assistive tasks. This will contribute to research on adoption.
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User-Centric Evaluation of Hip Exoskeletons to Promote Mobility among Older Subjects: An Interdisciplinary Approach Integrating Engineering, Physical Activity, and Social Perspectives
- Dr. BOURI Mohamed (IBI-STI - BIOROB - STI)
- Dr. MALATESTA Davide (ISSUL -DSB - FBM)
This project aims to evaluate walking assistance devices designed for power augmentation to enhance mobility and improve the quality of life for seniors. We aim to test these assistive devices among older end-users in real-world, daily-life scenarios. By assessing both these devices' functional performance and user experience, we seek to determine their effectiveness in supporting independent living and promoting overall well-being for seniors. We plan to measure the energetics of walking and the benefits of the device, as well as study the usability, userexperience and acceptability of the technology.