Ernesto Gambao

About

Ernesto Gambao is a prominent robotics researcher whose work spans construction automation, modular robotics, human-robot interaction, and assistive technologies. Based at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Gambao has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between advanced robotics and real-world industrial and healthcare applications. His most influential contribution, a 2013 survey on sensor technologies and robotic applications in building construction, has garnered nearly 200 citations, establishing him as a leading authority in construction automation. This work complements his earlier pioneering research on robot assembly systems for computer-integrated construction, dating back to 2000, which helped lay the conceptual groundwork for automated building processes. Gambao has also made significant strides in modular reconfigurable robotics, with a widely cited 2017 review examining the evolution of these systems across locomotion, control, and docking capabilities. His research extends into intuitive robot programming, developing tablet-based interfaces that democratize access to industrial robotics, and into smart healthcare environments integrating IoT devices and service robots to assist people with disabilities. With over 700 cumulative citations across his most recognized works, Gambao's interdisciplinary research continues to shape how robots are designed, programmed, and deployed across both industrial and social contexts.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Extending automation of building construction — Survey on potential sensor technologies and robotic applications

   197 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Current trends in reconfigurable modular robots design

   125 citations · 2017
3. 3
   Robot assembly system for computer-integrated construction

   84 citations · 2000
4. 4
   Smart Assistive Architecture for the Integration of IoT Devices, Robotic Systems, and Multimodal Interfaces in Healthcare Environments

   60 citations · 2021
5. 5
   Hard material small-batch industrial machining robot

   60 citations · 2017
6. 6
   Hammer: An Android based application for end-user industrial robot programming

   52 citations · 2014
7. 7
   Robot assembly system for the construction process automation

   39 citations · 2002
8. 8
   A behaviour-based control architecture for heterogeneous modular, multi-configurable, chained micro-robots

   34 citations · 2012
9. 9
   Robotics and Automation in Construction [Guest Editors]

   31 citations · 2002
10. 10
    A new generation of collaborative robots for material handling

    30 citations · 2012

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links