Palazzo Madama in Turin, Italy, has introduced a four-foot-tall robot named R1 as a docent for its Baroque collection. The robot, developed by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) under Project Convince with €4 million in EU funding, guides visitors through the former royal apartments, narrating the history of the House of Savoy and detailing paintings, tapestries, and furniture. R1 can interact with visitors via LED eyes, answer questions, and autonomously navigate the museum's first floor, though it cannot climb stairs. It has been learning on the job since 2025, completing 30 tours in December 2025, and uses corrective software to relocalize itself if lost.
This deployment matters because it represents a real-world application of AI and robotics in cultural heritage, balancing automation with human staff augmentation rather than replacement. While not the first museum to use a robot docent—the Smithsonian introduced a similar robot in 2018—Palazzo Madama's initiative highlights how historic institutions can integrate advanced technology to enhance visitor engagement without compromising the integrity of fragile collections. The project also demonstrates the potential for robots to operate autonomously in challenging environments with variable visitor flows and connectivity issues, offering a model for other museums considering similar innovations.