Francesco Giorgio-Serchi

Dr. Francesco Giorgio-Serchi is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering (University of Edinburgh), affiliated with the Scottish Microelectronics Centre and the Soft Systems Group. His research focuses on soft-bodied underwater robotics, aquatic propulsion, and model-predictive control systems for challenging marine environments. He leads the Biomimetic-joint-thrust system for underwater propulsion project and collaborates with institutions across Japan, Italy, and the UK.

• PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics (University of Leeds, 2011)
• Laurea in Marine Science & Technology (University of Pisa, 2006)

Research interests span soft robotics, bioinspired propulsion, and marine energy harvesting, with recent work on tactile sensing via electrical impedance tomography and dielectric elastomer sensors. His publications address topics like continuum manipulators, disturbance rejection algorithms, and spider-inspired actuators for extraterrestrial applications.

Scientific Awards

• Marie-Curie Early Stage Training (EST) Fellowship
• Marie-Curie European Reintegration Grant (ERG)
• NERC 'technology proof-of-concept' grant
• Lloyd's Register Foundation sponsorship

He supervises PhD students in areas like marine renewable energy and autonomous underwater vehicle design, with projects sponsored by the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics. His collaborations include the Endorobotics Lab (Tokyo Tech), Flexible Robotics Lab (Tsukuba), and Human-Robot Informatics Lab (Tohoku University).