Smart materials and mechanisms for a new generation of robots and energy harvesters
Giovedì 28 aprile alle ore 18, Marco Fontana, professore associato dell'Istituto di Intelligenza Meccanica della Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna presenta il seminario "Smart materials and mechanisms for a new generation of robots and energy harvesters". L'incontro fa parte del ciclo di seminari 'La ricerca negli Istituti di Ingegneria della Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna' nell'ambito della programmazione didattica di Ingegneria '21/'22 a cura del prof. Christian Cipriani.
Diretta streaming sulla piattaforma WebEx e sul canale YouTube della Scuola Sant'Anna al seguente link: https://youtu.be/R8soJKr7G3Y.
Abstract
This seminar presents recent research progress on novel hardware solutions for robotic systems and energy harvesters, conducted by the group Robotic Mechanisms and Materials - Institute of Mechanical Intelligence - Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna. In particular, we are going to speak about how new generations of electrostatic machines based on smart polymeric materials have the potential to become a game changing technology in robotics and energy harvesting. Additionally, innovative transmission solutions called fluid-wire is introduced that makes it possible to develop robots with unprecedented qualities at low-cost.
Bio
Marco Fontana received the degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2003 from University of Pisa and the Ph.D. in Robotics in 2008 form Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. He was Assistant Professor at University of Trento and, since 2020, he is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa (Italy) where he leads the research group of "Robotic mechanisms and materials".
His research is focussed on the development of innovative hardware enabling technologies for robotics and energy harvesting. In the field of robotics, he has worked on innovative hardware concepts and controls for exoskeletons and robots for human-machine interaction. Recently, his research is focussed on large-scale electrostatic actuators and innovative electro-fluidic mechanical transmissions for advanced robots.
In parallel with robotics, he contributed to the research on innovative machines for energy harvesting. In this field, since 2012, he is studying the application innovative machines for conversion of wind and ocean wave energy based on smart materials and structures.
During his career he has been the PI and Co-PI of several research grants at national and European level. He has published his researches in about one hundred scientific papers, including prestigious editorial targets such as Science Robotics, Proceedings of Royal Society A and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Additionally, he has co-authored five book chapters and has filed six patents.