A. Tonielli

About

A. Tonielli is a researcher whose career has been defined by the intersection of advanced motor control theory and robotic systems, with particular expertise in variable reluctance motors, sliding mode control, and dexterous robotic manipulation. Based at the University of Bologna, Tonielli made significant early contributions to direct-drive robotics, recognizing that eliminating mechanical reduction gears could overcome friction and backlash limitations in precision applications. His most influential work, "Modeling and Control Strategies for a Variable Reluctance Direct-Drive Motor" (1993), garnered 136 citations and established a foundational framework for ripple-free dynamic torque control tailored to trajectory tracking in robotics. Complementing this, his application of feedback linearization and sliding mode techniques to variable reluctance motors demonstrated robust control under real-world parameter uncertainties. Tonielli also made sustained contributions to dexterous robotic hand design, helping develop the University of Bologna's UB Hand II — a three-fingered, high-dexterity system integrated with a PUMA 560 arm. Across more than a decade of research, his work bridged rigorous nonlinear control theory with practical robotic implementation, establishing him as a notable contributor to the field of intelligent motion control systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Modeling and control strategies for a variable reluctance direct-drive motor

   136 citations · 1993
2. 2
   Feedback linearizing and sliding mode control of a variable reluctance motor

   29 citations · 1994
3. 3
   The UB Hand II control system: design features and experimental results

   20 citations · 2002
4. 4
   Control System Design of a Dexterous Hand for Industrial Robots

   19 citations · 1988
5. 5
   VSS robust control techniques for AC motor drives

   8 citations · 2002
6. 6
   Nonlinear trajectory generator for evolution control systems

   7 citations · 2002
7. 7
   Robust control of a variable reluctance motor

   7 citations · 2002
8. 8
   Application of Sliding Mode Techniques to the Control of a Robotic Hand

   3 citations · 1990
9. 9
   Sliding mode control for a robotic hand

   2 citations · 1992
10. 10
    CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN OF A DEXTEROUS HAND FOR INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS**The work is framed in the context of an interdisciplinary research programme between DEIS and DIEM (Dipartimento di Ingegneria delle Costruzioni Meccaniche, Nucleari, Aereonautiche e di Metallurgia), both of the University of Bologna, with the support of IBM Italia.

    2 citations · 1989

Key Collaborators

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