Anyone who was born or grew up in the 1980s will certainly remember the first toy robots, capable of talking, picking up objects and recording sounds. And today a robot could even tell us how to save on our electricity bill: Biro, a small masterpiece of robotics and energy analysis, is set to launch on the market shortly (before the end of the year).

The idea comes from Professor Marco Santarelli, an expert in network analysis, affiliated with the Cnr and head of the research group at the "Network Analysis" hub of Unich (Università degli studi di Chieti e Pescara), as well as a longstanding collaborator of Margherita Hack, with whom he has taken part in a number of publications.

"In practice, Biro carries out an energy diagnosis of the home," explains Santarelli. "It can access the family's historical data and, through a specially created algorithm, study their energy behaviour over the course of a month."

Biro, the robot equipped with photovoltaic panels

Standing 35 centimetres tall, it is fitted with two sensors (in place of eyes) capable of analysing and understanding how, how much and why domestic electrical energy is used. "The robot detects the presence of people in the home and can tell when the lights are on or off," explains Santarelli. "At the end of the data-collection month, the robot transmits the data wirelessly and via GPS to our central server, which calculates the home energy profile." The novelty lies precisely in this: you end up with a complete energy map of the home and its energy habits.
The robot's usefulness does not end there, because after the "energy snapshot" of our home, a guide will be provided on how to act in order to reduce domestic energy costs.

Santarelli explains that Biro is the first project, aimed at families and small consumers, while the real objective is to reach businesses: "To that end we are working on a humanoid-shaped automaton designed for companies, capable of moving and talking." And thus helping energy managers save on their electricity bill.

A fun object, certainly. But one with an "eco" purpose, because it can help families reduce their energy consumption, their electricity bill and therefore their household costs. In short, it could be an intelligent gift that would surely appeal to the youngest members of the family — and why not to adults too — as well as a useful tool for spreading awareness of the importance of energy saving.