Alessandro Levi

Italian Institute of Technology, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna

Papers

Total Citations

536

H-Index

About

Alessandro Levi is a leading innovator in soft robotics and tactile sensing, whose work has fundamentally advanced the field of electronic skin (e-skin) and human-machine interaction. His primary research areas encompass flexible pressure sensors, capacitive tactile arrays, and biomimetic touch systems. Levi’s most impactful contribution is the development of a "Flexible Three‐Axial Force Sensor for Soft and Highly Sensitive Artificial Touch" (2014), which has garnered over 475 citations. This landmark paper introduced a simple, textile-based capacitive sensor capable of detecting both normal and tangential forces with extraordinary sensitivity—detecting weights under 10 mg and displacements of just 8 μm. This breakthrough enabled robots to perceive shear forces, a critical capability for delicate manipulation. In his subsequent work, "Soft, Transparent, Electronic Skin for Distributed and Multiple Pressure Sensing" (2013), Levi pioneered a novel optical, mechano-transduction principle, creating a transparent e-skin that can map distributed pressure across a surface. His achievements are recognized for bridging the gap between rigid electronics and compliant biological tissue, making him a pivotal figure in the quest for truly lifelike artificial touch.