Papers
136
Total Citations
3,502
H-Index
31
About
Gianluca Palli is a prominent robotics researcher at the University of Bologna whose work has fundamentally advanced the design and control of robotic hands, tendon-based actuation systems, and human-robot interaction. His research spans dexterous manipulation, compliant mechanisms, and wearable assistive robotics, with a body of work that has accumulated well over 1,400 citations across his most influential publications alone. Palli is perhaps best known for his foundational contributions to the UB Hand series — anthropomorphic robotic hands built around elastic, tendon-driven endoskeletons — with the UB Hand 3 (2006, 231 citations) and UB Hand IV (2013, 131 citations) representing landmark milestones in biomimetic hand design. His parallel development of the DEXMART Hand (2014, 178 citations) introduced synergy-based grasping control that dramatically simplified dexterous manipulation. A defining thread throughout his career is the Twisted String Actuation system, which he modeled, refined, and applied across multiple publications (2010–2020), enabling powerful yet compact tendon-driven devices — including a sEMG-controlled soft ExoSuit for elbow rehabilitation. His complementary contributions to tendon-sheath modeling, variable stiffness control, and robotic vision-tactile integration further demonstrate a researcher who bridges elegant mechanical theory with real-world robotic applications.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Development of UB Hand 3: Early Results231 citations · 2006
- 2Modeling and Control of the Twisted String Actuation System183 citations · 2012
- 3Modeling, Identification, and Control of Tendon-Based Actuation Systems178 citations · 2011
- 4
- 5
- 6On the Feedback Linearization of Robots with Variable Joint Stiffness125 citations · 2008
- 7Model and control of tendon-sheath transmission systems123 citations · 2006
- 8The twisted string actuation system: Modeling and control107 citations · 2010
- 9
- 10