Francesco Giorgio-Serchi

About

Francesco Giorgio-Serchi is a leading figure in soft robotics and bio-inspired underwater vehicle design, whose work is reshaping how we explore and interact with the ocean. His research focuses on developing soft-bodied robots that mimic cephalopods and other marine organisms, enabling unprecedented capabilities in locomotion, manipulation, and environmental sensing. Giorgio-Serchi’s major contributions include the creation of a resonant squid-inspired robot that unlocks biological propulsive efficiency, achieving a preferred Strouhal number for efficient swimming and bridging the gap between pulse-jet propulsion and fish-like locomotion. He also pioneered a unified multi-soft-body dynamic model for underwater soft robots, providing a foundational framework for designing and controlling these complex systems. His work on stretchable e-skin and transformers for high-resolution morphological reconstruction further advances the field of soft robotics. With over 700 citations across his most-cited papers, Giorgio-Serchi’s impact is evident in his widely referenced perspective on soft robots for ocean exploration and offshore operations. Notable achievements include the PoseiDRONE project, a soft-bodied ROV combining crawling, swimming, and manipulation, and the development of flagellate underwater robotics at macroscale. His research is critical for addressing climate change, pollution, and the growth of the offshore energy sector.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Soft Robots for Ocean Exploration and Offshore Operations: A Perspective

   174 citations · 2021
2. 2
   A resonant squid-inspired robot unlocks biological propulsive efficiency

   109 citations · 2021
3. 3
   Stretchable e-skin and transformer enable high-resolution morphological reconstruction for soft robots

   108 citations · 2023
4. 4
   A unified multi-soft-body dynamic model for underwater soft robots

   80 citations · 2018
5. 5
   Modelling cephalopod-inspired pulsed-jet locomotion for underwater soft robots

   52 citations · 2015
6. 6
   Hybrid parameter identification of a multi-modal underwater soft robot

   52 citations · 2017
7. 7
   Hydrodynamic loads on a restrained ROV under waves and current

   46 citations · 2021
8. 8
   PoseiDRONE: Design of a soft-bodied ROV with crawling, swimming and manipulation ability

   42 citations · 2013
9. 9
   Flagellate Underwater Robotics at Macroscale: Design, Modeling, and Characterization

   38 citations · 2021
10. 10
    Experimental Force Data of a Restrained ROV under Waves and Current

    27 citations · 2020

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links