Collaborative Robotics Professors and Supervisors in Italy

Massimiliano CostaView profile

Professor

Ca' Foscari University of VeniceItaly

Massimiliano Costa is a Full Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage , Ca' Foscari University of Venice , with a focus on General and Social Pedagogy [PAED-01/A]. He serves as the Rector's Delegate for Teacher Training for both university and secondary school staff, emphasizing educational innovation and interdisciplinary frameworks. Research areas: Pedagogy, Work-Based Learning, Digital Transformation, Teacher Training Recent articles analyze digital/robotic transitions, socio-emotional skills in STEM, heutagogical models, and generative work ecosystems His teaching includes Work Pedagogy and Adult Education , General Pedagogy , and Economics of Education courses. Publications span monographs on intelligent machine societies, editorials on educational innovation, and theoretical models for digital workforce development.

Official University Profile

Richard D. BraatzView profile

Professor

University of BariItaly

Richard D. Braatz is the Edwin R. Gilliland Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), focusing on control theory and its applications in biomedical, pharmaceutical, energy, and nanotechnology systems. He holds a PhD and MS from the California Institute of Technology and has held academic positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Harvard University. He is a Keynote Speaker at ICINCO 2016. Research Interests: Spanning Automation , Control Systems , Robotics , and Computer Vision , with applications in Biomedical Engineering , Pharmaceutical Engineering , Energy Systems , and Nanotechnology . Collaborations with over 20 companies, including IBM, DuPont, Novartis, and United Technologies Corporation, highlight his commitment to translating research into practice. Scientific Awards and Honors: Donald P. Eckman Award (American Automatic Control Council) Curtis W. McGraw Research Award (Engineering Research Council) IEEE Control Systems Society Transition to Practice Award Technical Innovation Award (International Society of Automation) Fellow of IEEE Fellow of IFAC Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Advising and Industry Engagement: As a faculty member at MIT, he has advised and collaborated with numerous industry partners, though specific student names and grant details are not included in the provided text.

Official University Profile

Federica BorioView profile

Research Fellow

Polytechnic University of TurinItaly

Federica Borio is a Research Fellow at the Department of Control and Computer Engineering (DAUIN) at the Polytechnic University of Turin. Her work focuses on advancing research in computer science and control systems, with a particular emphasis on collaborative laboratory initiatives. Research Interests Computer Science Control Systems Software Engineering Robotics Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Recent Publications Her 2014 publication S3+ Lab highlights her contributions to collaborative research environments and system development. Labs and Teams Federica Borio is actively involved with the S3+ Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary projects that bridge theoretical and applied computer science in educational and industrial contexts.

Official University Profile

Enrico SimettiView profile

Associate Professor

University of GenoaItaly

Enrico Simetti is an Associate Professor at the University of Genoa's Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS). He serves as Course Coordinator for the Robotics Engineering Degree and holds a position on the Scientific Council of the Interuniversity Research Center for Integrated Systems for the Marine Environment (ISME). Research Focus His work spans robotics, embedded systems, and control engineering, with specific expertise in: Cooperative multi-robot systems Automatic control theory Robotic manipulator design Naval control applications Embedded hardware integration Academic Roles Graduate course instructor for Robotics Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Naval Engineering programs Polytechnic Interschool Section collaborator at DIBRIS Contact Email: enrico.simetti@unige.it . Office hours by appointment at Via all'Opera Pia 13, Genoa, or via Microsoft Teams.

Official University Profile

Alexander DomnichView profile

Professor

University of GenoaItaly

Alexander Domnich serves as a Contract Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS) at the University of Genoa. He currently teaches Applied Hygiene for the Master's Degree Course in Bioengineering during the 2024-2025 academic year. His research centers on vaccinology and infectious disease epidemiology , with emphasis on respiratory viruses (RSV, influenza, COVID-19) and mpox. Key interests include vaccine response mechanisms in immunocompromised populations, development of diagnostic assays, and behavioral interventions to improve vaccine uptake among high-risk groups like older adults and men who have sex with men. Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal a strong focus on real-world vaccine effectiveness studies , including the RESPIRA-50 project for adult RSV surveillance and adjuvanted RSV vaccination in elderly populations. His work frequently employs molecular diagnostics and epidemiological modeling to address gaps in respiratory virus management. Dr. Domnich actively collaborates on multinational research initiatives, particularly in vaccine implementation science and outbreak response strategies. His current projects involve point-of-care diagnostic development and targeted vaccination campaigns during emerging outbreaks like mpox.

Official University Profile

Luca FambriView profile

Associate Professor

University of TrentoItaly

Luca Fambri is an Associate Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, specializing in materials engineering and industrial product development. His expertise spans biodegradable polymers, carbon nanotubes, energy storage, and sustainable manufacturing processes. Research Focus: Thermal management, polymer composites, nanocomposites, and eco-friendly material design. Teaching: Co-teaches courses on industrial product development, materials for sustainable industry, and strategic product design. His recent publications highlight advancements in phase change materials, microplastic pollution monitoring, and sustainable polymer applications. The work emphasizes material characterization, thermal properties optimization, and environmental impact assessments. Key article trends include thermal energy storage systems, eco-friendly fiber production, and innovative approaches to plastic degradation monitoring. His collaborations focus on scalable and environmentally conscious manufacturing techniques.

Official University Profile

Matteo SaverianoView profile

Associate Professor

University of TrentoItaly

Matteo Saveriano is an Associate Professor at the University of Trento , affiliated with both the Department of Industrial Engineering and the Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science . His work focuses on Robotics , Control Systems , and Machine Learning , with applications in robotic manipulation, locomotion, and human-robot interaction. Email: matteo.saveriano@unitn.it Research interests include antifragile control systems, dynamic movement primitives, reinforcement learning, biomechanical characterisation, and motion planning on discrete manifolds. His teaching covers Automatic Control and Robotics , with a hybrid theoretical-practical approach using Python simulations. Recent publications explore topics such as neuro-symbolic robotics, radiation effects on embedded GPUs, surface defect identification with Bayesian filtering, and reactive navigation using control barrier functions. These works highlight interdisciplinary trends at the intersection of robotics , machine learning , and control theory .

Official University Profile

Roberto VezzaniView profile

Associate Professor

University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaItaly

Roberto Vezzani is an Associate Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia's Enzo Ferrari Department of Engineering, specializing in information processing systems (ING-INF/05). Previously Director of the Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Center (2018-2021), he holds a PhD in Information Engineering from the same institution. As senior member of AimageLab, he coordinates research on human-computer interaction using multi-sensor systems. His research spans: Computer vision for IoT and video surveillance Motion detection and action classification 3D vision with depth/thermal/event cameras Sensor fusion and automatic video annotation He leads competitive projects funded by Toyota, Ferrari, and EU programs, focusing on industrial applications of computer vision. Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong focus on 3D pose estimation, robot perception, and efficient embedded vision systems, with applications in automotive, robotics, and UAVs. Awards include: Best Paper - ICPR 2020 (IAPR) Best Paper - VISAPP 2020 Best Paper - THEMIS'2008 Industrial collaborations feature multi-year projects with Ferrari (RedVision lab), Toyota Europe, and Tetra Pak. Teaching includes courses on Computer Architecture, IoT systems, and industrial AI.

Official University Profile

Francesco ReaView profile

Adjunct Associate Professor

Italian Institute of TechnologyItaly

Francesco Rea is a Senior Technician at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and holds adjunct/teaching positions at University of Lethbridge and University of Genova. He leads the Cognitive Architecture for Interactive Technology (CONTACT) lab, focusing on humanoid perception, cognitive skills, and industrial applications. Education: B.Sc. Information Engineering, Università di Bergamo (2004) Specialization in Computer Engineering, Università di Bergamo (2007) M.Sc. Robotics and Automation, University of Salford (2008) Ph.D. Robotics, University of Genoa (2012) Research: His work bridges cognitive neuroscience and robotics, developing systems for auditory awareness, adaptive tutoring, and human-robot collaboration in manufacturing/healthcare. Key projects include VOJEXT, APRIL, and PROMEN-AID, funded by EU H2020 and Human Brain Project. Publications: Recent works (2025) explore LLM-based tutoring architectures, visuo-motor learning, and social robotics, demonstrating consistent focus on AI-driven human interaction and cognitive modeling. Awards: Canada-Italy Innovation Award (2017, 2021) Best Paper Award at ROMAN2020 Mitacs Globalink Research Award (2018) AI for Robotics Award (2020) Grants & Teams: Secured €multi-million funding for 5+ EU projects. Leads a 10+ member team at CONTACT lab developing cognitive architectures for industrial robots and healthcare applications.

Official University Profile

Arash AjoudaniView profile

Professor

Italian Institute of TechnologyItaly

Arash Ajoudani is a tenured Senior Researcher and Principal Investigator at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), where he directs the Human-Robot Interfaces and Interaction (HRI²) laboratory. He holds affiliations with the European Lab for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) and leads joint labs like R4M (Robotics for Manufacturing) and JOiiNT. His research bridges: Physical human-robot interaction Mobile manipulation Adaptive control systems Assistive and tele-robotics He coordinates flagship projects including ERC grants (Ergo-Lean, Real-Move), Horizon Europe initiatives (Tornado), and industrial collaborations. His awards include the IEEE RAS Early Career Award 2021, KUKA Innovation Award 2018, and multiple best paper recognitions at top robotics conferences. As an editor, he serves the International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR) and IEEE RAS committees, driving advancements in collaborative automation and human-centered AI.

Official University Profile

Giovanni LughezzaniView profile

Associate Professor

Humanitas UniversityItaly

Giovanni Lughezzani is an Associate Professor of Urology at Humanitas University in Milan, Italy. He has held academic positions since 2013, progressing from Adjunct Professor to his current role as Associate Professor since May 2022. His clinical work is based at IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, where he specializes in urological cancers and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Education: Medical doctor degree (07/2007): 110 cum laude Urologist certification (03/2013): 70/70 cum laude National Academic Qualification as Associate Professor (11/2016) Dr. Lughezzani's research focuses on urological malignancies, particularly prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and urinary tract cancers. His work emphasizes prognostic factors, diagnostic markers, and minimally invasive surgical approaches including robotic and laparoscopic techniques. He has made significant contributions to understanding targeted prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment of various urological conditions through endoscopic and minimally invasive methods. His publication record demonstrates consistent research activity in urological oncology, with a focus on prostate cancer diagnostics and treatment, bladder cancer management, and robotic surgical techniques. Recent work shows a shift toward comparative effectiveness research, systematic reviews, and clinical trials evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in urology. Dr. Lughezzani has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications, demonstrating expertise across multiple subspecialties within urology. His collaborative research spans international institutions, reflecting the global nature of contemporary urological research. As an academic educator, he has contributed to medical training programs at both Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Humanitas University, mentoring future physicians in urological care and surgical techniques.

Official University Profile