Elena Torta

Elena Torta is an Assistant Professor in the Robotics section of the Mechanical Engineering department at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Her research focuses on control and world modeling for collaborative robots, particularly in human-robot and robot-robot collaboration. She holds a PhD cum laude from TU/e and has extensive industry experience as a software architect at ASML, where she advanced to leadership roles in algorithm deployment. Her expertise spans multidisciplinary robotics challenges, including human-robot interaction studies and computational models for robotics control.

Education:

• BSc in Computer Science and Automation Engineering (Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy)
• MSc in Automation Engineering (Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy; thesis research at Technical University of Denmark)
• PhD cum laude in Automation Engineering (TU/e)

Research Interests: Her work integrates robotics, control systems, and artificial intelligence to enhance collaborative robotics. Key areas include semantic-aware motion planning, digital twin technology, multi-agent coordination, and safety-critical robotic systems. Recent advancements involve leveraging building digital twins for robot navigation and semantic learning from human demonstrations.

Projects: She leads projects such as EAISI High Tech Systems, AMBER, and KSERA, addressing challenges in healthcare robotics and manufacturing. Her research contributes to UN SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure) and SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being).

Awards:

• PhD cum laude (2014)

Advising & Grants: Supervised 36 students and secured funding through projects like EAISI startup package. Active in developing educational tools for robotics, including Challenge-Based Education frameworks.

Labs & Teams: Engaged in TU/e's Robotics Lab and collaborations with EAISI, focusing on advancing robotics through interdisciplinary approaches.