Here’s hoping your journey is un fraught, young Petey. Go swiftly now, and may your backpack not explode, may your path be free of trolls and sticky hands, and may it end with a Saltine waiting for you and a bed that beckons!
I agree with you. It is a common turn of phrase, for instance- on a television broadcast the host might say “ coming up next, making her television debut, (insert artisit’s name).” The artist has been around for years, but she is making a first appearance here on T.V.
This is the same sense used here. The machine is making its debut in Rome. It is not claiming that it is the first ever or that it was invented there. Simple as that.
Cats All Folks!