Assoc. Prof. Nicola Pellegrini, University of Brescia, Italy

Speech Title: Next-Generation Industrial Reliability: Digital Twins, Artificial Intelligence and Prognostics for Intelligent Maintenance

Abstract: The increasing complexity of industrial systems demands advanced reliability engineering approaches integrating Digital Twins (DTs), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) to enable intelligent maintenance strategies.

Emerging methodologies combine physics-based modeling, real-time monitoring, and data-driven intelligence to enhance reliability assessment, fault diagnosis, anomaly detection, and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction. Particular emphasis is placed on hybrid Digital Twin architectures, physics-informed machine learning, sensor fusion, and uncertainty-aware prognostic models.

Major scientific challenges include model interpretability, limited failure data, operational variability, uncertainty quantification, and the transferability of predictive models across heterogeneous industrial applications. Industrial robotics, mechatronic systems, manufacturing equipment, and complex mechanical assets represent relevant application domains.

The convergence of reliability engineering, intelligent diagnostics, and AI-driven prognostics offers significant opportunities for developing scalable, trustworthy, and explainable Digital Twin frameworks, improving system dependability, operational resilience, maintenance effectiveness, and lifecycle sustainability while bridging methodological innovation and practical industrial implementation.

Biography: Nicola Pellegrini is an Associate Professor of Applied Mechanics at the University of Brescia. He obtained his Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics and has developed an academic and research profile in mechatronic systems, vibration control, and industrial & collaborative robotics. He worked as a contract researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute IWU in Germany, contributing to an R&D project focused on hybrid damping structures. His main research interests include vibration control systems and mechanisms, reliability in product development, robotics integration in manufacturing lines, and AI algorithms & soft computing simulation methods. In 2018, he was the inventor of a patent for an innovative narrowband Active Vibration Control (AVC) device. Nicola Pellegrini is a member of IFToMM Italy, the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science. He has collaborated on several National and European research programs, as well as research projects funded by private industrial companies. Nicola Pellegrini is currently Managing Director and Co-funder of the academic spinoff E-DEAS, Engineering Solutions for Manufacturing System Advances. The academic spin-off aims to conduct industrial studies and research to develop innovative mechatronic solutions that can be integrated into manufacturing and/or service systems to improve functional performance and reliability.