Abel, the robot endowed with human-like emotions developed by the “E. Piaggio” Research Center and the ForeLab of the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Pisa, has stepped out of the lab and onto the stage.
He made his theatrical debut at the 2025 Robotics Festival, held in Pisa from May 9th to 11th, starring in the performance A Star from the Future, conceived by D. Focardi and L. Cominelli.
Fresh off winning one of the most prestigious international film awards for Best Leading Actor in a global cine-robotic production, Abel didn’t just act—he held a full-fledged press conference from the stage.
He spoke about the soul, love, death, art, and religion, opening the floor to questions and interactions with the audience in a meeting that blended art and technology.
A Star from the Future is an original concept by D. Focardi and L. Cominelli, directed by D. Focardi, featuring performances by Focardi himself and Abel, with the collaboration of L. Cominelli.
