A display case full of rubber ducks, a centuries-old monastery, and a consortium of nine international partners – the perfect setting for an Agatha Christie novel. Or almost.

In reality, it was the latest General Assembly of MOZART, where partners came together to share updates, exchange ideas, and lay the groundwork for the project’s final year.

Hosted by Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic, the meeting took place in the university’s stunning historical venue – a 14th-century monastery steeped in tradition but also home to modern research and curious academic customs.

Among these, the above-mentioned rubber duck display: a glass case filled with dozens of ducks left behind by computer science students. The collection pays tribute to the practice of duck debugging – explaining your code aloud to a rubber duck to help spot hidden bugs. Each duck marks the graduation of a student who (hopefully) won’t need it again in their professional life.

MOZART, however, is not yet ready to leave its duck behind. With one year to go, the project continues to refine its ambitious vision: developing intelligent robotic systems capable of handling soft and deformable objects.

Stay tuned to MOZART’s channels for the next steps in bringing the project’s robotic technologies closer to real-world applications.

Photo showing students’ rubber ducks

Images courtesy of ICONS

MOZART meets in Brno for the latest GA

MOZART meets in Brno for the latest GA