P. Lucibello

About

P. Lucibello has established himself as a leading authority in robotic systems control, with particular expertise in flexible and elastic joint robots, nonlinear control theory, and dynamic feedback linearization. His research career spans over two decades of foundational contributions to one of robotics' most technically challenging domains: precisely controlling manipulators whose mechanical compliance introduces complex, often unstable dynamic behaviors. His most influential work, "A General Algorithm for Dynamic Feedback Linearization of Robots with Elastic Joints" (2002, 191 citations), introduced an elegant inversion-based framework that transformed how engineers approach control design for compliant robotic systems. This built upon his equally seminal 1989 paper on flexible arm trajectory control (149 citations), which established the theoretical groundwork for dynamic inversion in non-rigid manipulators. Together, these works form a cornerstone of modern flexible robotics literature. Lucibello's contributions extend beyond theory — he designed and built a physical two-link flexible robot to experimentally validate his algorithms, demonstrating rare commitment to bridging mathematical rigor with engineering reality. His later investigations into visco-elastic joints and learning-based force control reflect a researcher consistently pushing boundaries. With over 370 cumulative citations across diverse control problems, his work remains essential reading for robotics researchers tackling real-world mechanical flexibility.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A general algorithm for dynamic feedback linearization of robots with elastic joints

   191 citations · 2002
2. 2
   Inversion techniques for trajectory control of flexible robot arms

   149 citations · 1989
3. 3
   Inversion of nonlinear time-varying systems

   48 citations · 1993
4. 4
   On the Control of Robots with Visco-Elastic Joints

   48 citations · 2006
5. 5
   Control experiments on a two-link robot with a flexible forearm

   46 citations · 1990
6. 6
   Nonlinear adaptive control of a two link flexible robot arm

   21 citations · 1990
7. 7
   Design and realization of a two-link direct drive robot with a very flexible forearm

   21 citations · 1993
8. 8
   Nonlinear regulation, with internal stability, of a two link flexible robot arm

   18 citations · 2003
9. 9
   Output Tracking for a Nonlinear Flexible Arm

   18 citations · 1993
10. 10
    A learning algorithm for hybrid force control of robot arms

    11 citations · 2002

Key Collaborators

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