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Emanuela Del Dottore

Research Scientist in Bioinspired Soft Robotics
Researcher
Bioinspired Soft Robotics
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About

Emanuela Del Dottore received her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Science and Information Technology from the University of Pisa. In 2017 she received her Ph.D. in Biorobotics from Scuola Superiore S. Anna (cum laude), with a thesis focused on the elaboration and implementation of algorithms and control strategies for bioinspired robotic systems inspired by plants. She earns experience in embedded and tiny systems, programming, systems kinematics, image processing, and data analysis, consolidated from both industry and research environments. 

She has pluriannual experience in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary working groups. She is co-tutoring several Ph.D. students, fellows, internships, from 5 different nationalities, and supporting the work of other PostDocs. She worked and she is working on large, highly challenging projects with big consortiums, and she contributed to the writing of successful European, regional, and international projects (among others, FET-PROACT GROWBOT (G.A. 824074), ERC project I-WOOD, and POR FESR Toscana SMASH).

She works in the field of plant-inspired robotics, growing robots, and soft robotics.

Her current research focuses on the formulation and implementation of controls and decision-making strategies for bioinspired robots, based on plants’ growth behaviors. In this context, she proposes, investigates, and validates behavioral hypotheses concerning the movements, exploration strategies, or the emergence of high-level behaviors in plants, and extracts novel rules for the movements of biomimetic robotic systems.

She is passionate about biorobotics, behavior analysis, swarm and collective behavior, and intelligent systems.

Education

Title: PhD in Biorobotics
Institute: Scuola Superiore S. Anna
Location: Pisa
Country: Italy
From: 2013 To: 2017

Title: Visiting Ph.D. student
Institute: University of Edinburgh
Location: Edinburg
Country: Scotland (UK)
From: 2016 To: 2016

Title: Master Degree in Information Technology (curricula in AI)
Institute: University of Pisa
Location: Pisa
Country: Italy
From: 2005 To: 2010

Title: Visiting student
Institute: University of Helsinki
Location: Helsinki
Country: Finland
From: 2006 To: 2007

Title: Bachelor Degree in Computer Science
Institute: University of Pisa
Location: Pisa
Country: Italy
From: 2001 To: 2005

Experience External

Title: Software designer and developer
Institute: ForSense Technology s.r.l.
Location: Pontedera
Country: Italy
From: 2010 To: 2013

Top Publications
2019
Del Dottore E., Mondini A., Sadeghi A., Mazzolai B.
Characterization of the growing from the tip as robot locomotion strategy
Frontiers Robotics AI, vol. 6, (no. JUN)
2018
Del Dottore E., Mondini A., Sadeghi A., Mattoli V., Mazzolai B.
An efficient soil penetration strategy for explorative robots inspired by plant root circumnutation movements
Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, vol. 13, (no. 1)
2018
Del Dottore E., Sadeghi A., Mondini A., Mazzolai B.
Continuous Growth in Plant-Inspired Robots Through 3D Additive Manufacturing
Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pp. 3454-3460
Conference Paper Conference
2018
Del Dottore E., Mondini A., Sadeghi A., Mazzolai B.
Swarming behavior emerging from the uptake-kinetics feedback control in a plant-root-inspired robot
Applied Sciences (Switzerland), vol. 8, (no. 1)
Article Journal
2017
Sadeghi A., Mondini A., Del Dottore E., Mattoli V., Beccai L., Taccola S., Lucarotti C., Totaro M., Mazzolai B.
A plant-inspired robot with soft differential bending capabilities
Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, vol. 12, (no. 1)
All Publications
2024
Dottore E.D., Mondini A., Rowe N., Mazzolai B.
A growing soft robot with climbing plant–inspired adaptive behaviors for navigation in unstructured environments
Science Robotics, vol. 9, (no. 86)
Article Journal
2024
Sten O., Del Dottore E., Pugno N.M., Mazzolai B.
A ridge-based detection algorithm with filament overlap identification for 2D mycelium network analysis
Ecological Informatics
2024
Pirrone S.R.M., Del Dottore E., Sibille L., Mazzolai B.
Investigations of bioinspired soil penetration strategies via a numerical model: Does radial expansion improve soil intruder performances?
Acta Geotechnica, vol. 19, (no. 3), pp. 1275-1293
Article Journal
2023
Pirrone S.R.M., Del Dottore E., Sibille L., Mazzolai B.
A 3-D DEM numerical model to support the design of exploratory artificial systems
74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC)
Poster Conference
2023
Mariani S., Cecchini L., Mondini A., Del Dottore E., Ronzan M., Filippeschi C., Pugno N.M., Sinibaldi E., Mazzolai B.
A Bioinspired Plasmonic Nanocomposite Actuator Sunlight-Driven by a Photothermal-Hygroscopic Effect for Sustainable Soft Robotics
Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. 8, (no. 14)
Article Journal
Oral presentations
2023
Del Dottore E., Mondini A., Bray D., Mazzolai B.
Miniature Soil Moisture Sensors for a Root-Inspired Burrowing Growing Robot
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 14157 LNAI, pp. 184-196
Book Series
2021
Dottore E.D., Mondini A., Mazzolai B.
Support localization strategy for growing robots aided by light perception inspired by climbing plants
2021 IEEE 4th International Conference on Soft Robotics, RoboSoft 2021, pp. 105-110
Conference
2019
Mazzolai B., Del Dottore E., Mondini A.
Self growing Robots Inspired by Plants
Conferenza Italiana di Robotica e Macchine Intelligenti
Conference
2018
Del Dottore E., Mondini A., Sadeghi A., Mazzolai B.
A plant-inspired kinematic model for growing robots
2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics, RoboSoft 2018, pp. 20-24
Conference
2018
Del Dottore E., Sadeghi A., Mondini A., Mazzolai B.
Continuous Growth in Plant-Inspired Robots Through 3D Additive Manufacturing
Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pp. 3454-3460
Conference
Awards and Achievements
2019
Mazzolai B., Mondini A., Tramacere F., Del Dottore E.
Octopus-inspired Technologies for Grasping and Manipulation Tasks
2018
Del Dottore E., Mondini A., Sadeghi A., Mazzolai B.
Best paper award - 2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics, RoboSoft "A plant-inspired kinematic model for growing robots"