Giancarlo Canavese

About

Giancarlo Canavese is a materials scientist and robotics researcher whose work has fundamentally advanced the field of flexible tactile sensing, with a particular focus on piezoresistive composite materials for robotic applications. His research centers on developing smart, skin-like sensing systems that enable robots to perceive and respond to physical touch, bridging the gap between materials science and advanced robotics. Canavese's most influential contribution, a 2014 review of flexible tactile sensing based on piezoresistive composites, has garnered over 416 citations, establishing him as a leading authority in the field. His pioneering investigations into metal-polymer composites — particularly nickel and copper particles embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric matrices — revealed remarkable "giant piezoresistive effects" that dramatically change electrical resistance under mechanical stress. His 2013 work on piezoresistive flexible composites for robotic tactile applications further cemented these findings with 115 citations. Beyond material characterization, Canavese developed practical innovations including stretchable hybrid systems, quantum tunnelling-based sensing mechanisms, and low-cost pressure matrix sensor arrays with integrated electronics. His comprehensive investigations into tunnelling conduction mechanisms provided crucial theoretical foundations for next-generation electronic skin technologies, making his work essential reading for researchers developing biomimetic robotic systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Flexible Tactile Sensing Based on Piezoresistive Composites: A Review

   416 citations · 2014
2. 2
   Piezoresistive flexible composite for robotic tactile applications

   115 citations · 2013
3. 3
   Stretchable and conformable metal–polymer piezoresistive hybrid system

   48 citations · 2012
4. 4
   Smart piezoresistive tunnelling composite for flexible robotic sensing skin

   33 citations · 2013
5. 5
   Comprehensive Characterization of Large Piezoresistive Variation of Ni-PDMS Composites

   31 citations · 2011
6. 6
   Impedance spectroscopy analysis of the tunnelling conduction mechanism in piezoresistive composites

   27 citations · 2014
7. 7
   A Tactile Sensor Device Exploiting the Tunable Sensitivity of Copper-PDMS Piezoresistive Composite

   11 citations · 2012
8. 8
   Development of Hybrid Piezoelectric Materials for Tactile Sensing

   4 citations · 2014

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links