Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Filipe Augusto Santos Rocha is a robotics researcher whose work centers on field robotics, autonomous inspection systems, and human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on industrial and hazardous environments. He has made significant contributions to the development of robotic platforms designed to operate where human access is dangerous or impractical, most notably through two flagship systems: EspeleoRobô and ROSI. EspeleoRobô, developed in collaboration with Brazilian mining giant Vale S.A., demonstrates Rocha's commitment to real-world deployment, enabling semi-autonomous inspection of confined spaces such as cave networks and underground tunnels, accumulating 44 citations. His work on ROSI — a mobile robotic platform designed for belt conveyor inspection in mining environments — spans multiple publications and represents a sustained research effort, collectively earning over 60 citations across system design, methodology, and application papers. Beyond hardware development, Rocha has contributed to machine learning-based inspection, developing convolutional neural network systems for automated dirt detection on conveyor belts. His earlier work on haptic teleoperation further reflects a broad understanding of human-robot interfaces. More recently, his research on body posture control for tracked robots operating over rough terrain underscores his growing interest in robust locomotion for unstructured field environments, making his portfolio highly relevant for students pursuing industrial or field robotics.