Mario Merri

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About

Mario Merri is a leading figure in space telerobotics, whose work is central to the European Space Agency’s vision for future human-robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars. His research focuses on creating standardized, interoperable software interfaces for robotic systems, a critical challenge for complex international missions. Merri’s major contribution is his pioneering work on the METERON project, where he has been instrumental in defining a set of standardized telerobotics service interfaces. This framework allows diverse robotic agents—from rovers to manipulators—to be seamlessly integrated into a common mission infrastructure, moving away from custom, proprietary control software. His most cited paper, “How to plug-in your rover into a space mission to moon or mars” (2015, 8 citations), serves as a practical guide for this integration, while his related work on combining these services with Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) addresses the fundamental communication challenges of deep space. By championing these standards, Merri is laying the essential groundwork for more resilient, collaborative, and scalable space exploration architectures, directly enabling the next generation of human-robotic partnerships beyond Earth.