image: The motorized exoskeleton TWIN is a wearable robot designed to provide energy to people with little or no mobility enabling them to stand up, maintain an upright position, walk, and sit down, with important applications in medicine and rehabilitation therapies.
Credit: IIT-ddpstudio
Genoa (Italy), September 10, 2025 – During EXPO Osaka 2025, the official award ceremony of the Compasso d’Oro International Award - promoted by ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) in collaboration with the General Commissioner’s Office for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka -, was held on Friday September 5 at the Italy Pavilion.
The international jury awarded 20 Compasso d’Oro prizes and 35 Honorable Mentions to projects from around the world, selected for their insight in interpreting the theme of the Universal Exposition: “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”
Among the winners of Compasso d’Oro International Award is TWIN, the robotic exoskeleton for lower limbs developed by Rehab Technologies IIT – INAIL, the joint laboratory established by the Italian Institute of Technology and the INAIL Prosthetic Center in Budrio, with the contribution of design studio ddpstudio. Since 2013, Rehab Tech and ddpstudio have worked together to merge the functionality of cutting-edge robotics with research on form and aesthetics, creating devices that are both highly functional and visually appealing, an essential factor for user acceptance.
TWIN was awarded the Compasso d’Oro with the following motivation: “Compasso d’Oro for designing a modular exoskeleton capable of adapting to different configurations based on user needs, allowing individuals with spinal injuries to walk again and restoring both physical and emotional potential”.
Simone Traverso, researcher at Rehab Technologies IIT – INAIL, together with Lorenzo De Bartolomeis and Gabriele Diamanti, both designers at ddpstudio, accepted the award during the ceremony, which included addresses by Mario Vattani, Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), and Luciano Galimberti, President of ADI.
The motorized exoskeleton TWIN is a wearable robot designed to provide energy to people with little or no mobility enabling them to stand up, maintain an upright position, walk, and sit down, with important applications in medicine and rehabilitation therapies.
Developed to adapt to the end user, the device has been refined through clinical testing with patients and is designed to support the reintegration of severely injured workers into both social and professional contexts.
The current version of TWIN provides advanced structural and software design for greater customization to individual users. The device’s frame is adjustable via telescopic links at the femur and tibia levels. Ankles and foot supports are available in different sizes to match ergonomics of end user, whether male or female, young or adult.
By placing patients and their needs at the core of development, TWIN’s operating modes adapt to the degree of motor deficit, particularly to whether the wearer is able to walk independently.
“It is an honor to receive this award, which recognizes the joint efforts of researchers, clinicians, designers, and patients in developing a technology that combines aesthetics with functionality and usability. Beyond being one of the most performing exoskeletons for lower limbs, TWIN was conceived and built together with patients and caregivers to facilitate use both in clinical and private contexts,” said Matteo Laffranchi, Head of Rehab Technologies IIT – INAIL.
“We are proud to receive this international award for the design of the TWIN exoskeleton. It was the first project we developed with the Rehab Technologies IIT – INAIL team, involving patients, clinicians, engineers, scientists, and designers in a continuous and participatory design process. This recognition highlights the strategic importance of industrial design as a tool within research and technology transfer projects. Designing for people, starting by listening to their specific needs, to significantly improve their quality of life, is the most rewarding goal we can achieve as designers,” added Lorenzo De Bartolomeis, Gabriele Diamanti, and Filippo Poli of ddpstudio.
“This is yet another prestigious recognition for the results of INAIL’s prosthetics and rehabilitation research projects, confirming the value of a user-centered design approach as it places patients at the core of the main development phases. This process strengthens the fundamental role of design in technologies that work in close contact with people,” said Emanuele Gruppioni, Technical Director of Research at the INAIL Prosthetic Center.
The winning projects will be on display at the Italy Pavilion until the closing of Expo 2025 on October 13, offering the international public the opportunity to explore the most significant solutions for the future of global society. The ceremony and exhibition will then be hosted in Milan, at the ADI Design Museum, on December 9, 2025, and will remain open until January 6, 2026.