Research | Robotics

Mission

Laboratory activities are focused on industrial, aerospace, medical, and service robotics to provide experimental support for the development of new methodologies for planning and controlling robotic platforms. The goal is to enable the execution of complex tasks with greater precision and flexibility.

The laboratory offers a practical and theoretical learning environment to train highly skilled engineers and researchers. It also facilitates collaborations with companies to develop joint research projects, transfer the technologies developed to the industrial sector, and promote economic growth.

Activities

Optimal planning and control of redundant and cooperating robots
Redundant and cooperating robots are used in applications like space exploration and industry due to their ability to perform complex tasks by leveraging additional degrees of freedom to avoid obstacles and optimize performance. In the Robotics lab, we develop solutions to reduce the computational complexity of planning and optimal control using advanced methods such as dynamic programming, sample-based optimization, and numerical techniques, fostering collaborations with manufacturing and space industry companies.

Force control
Robots increasingly interact with their environment for tasks like polishing, deburring, and transportation, requiring precise force control to ensure safety and accuracy. We combine standard strategies (e.g., admittance and impedance control) with data-driven and AI-based techniques to enhance performance. Applications include high-speed writing, remote assembly operations, and polishing tasks.

Haptic teleoperations
Haptic teleoperations extend human capabilities in areas like telesurgery and space exploration by combining robotic precision with human expertise. We design bilateral systems with kinesthetic and visual feedback, adaptive control, and advanced algorithms to ensure comfort and safety during complex operations.

Human-robot collaboration
Human-robot collaboration enables humans and robots to work together toward shared goals, such as collaborative transportation and assembly. Challenges include effective communication, intention estimation, and safety. We combine model-based control and machine learning to optimize physical and cognitive interactions, reducing effort and fatigue, with vocal feedback closing the human-robot communication loop

Equipment and instrumentation

In the laboratory are present:

• 2 x anthropomorphic Comau Smart-Six robots mounted on actuated carts
• 1 x UR10 (Universal Robot) robot
• 1 x 7-DOF Franka Emika robot
• 1 x custom differential-drive Clearpath Husky robot
• 3 x Zed smart cameras
• 1 x endoscope
• 1 x inertial measurement unit (IMU)
• 1 x 2D laser scanner
• 4 x force/torque sensors
• 3 x 2- and 3-fingers pneumatic grippers
• 1 x 2-giners electrical gripper
• 1 x dental scaling end-effector
• 1 x 3D printer
• 9 x Matlab and ROS2-ready workstations

Photos and more information can be found on the group's reference site www.automatica.unisa.it