Gianmauro Fontana

About

Gianmauro Fontana is a leading researcher in micro-robotics and advanced manufacturing, whose work is shaping the future of electronics assembly and remanufacturing. His primary research areas span micro-manipulation, vision-based control systems, and automated defect detection for printed circuit boards (PCBs). Fontana’s major contributions include the design and development of flexible, reconfigurable micro-factories and mini work-cells that enable precise handling and assembly of microcomponents. His pioneering work on vision-based control strategies and unconventional calibration techniques has significantly enhanced the accuracy and reliability of robotic micromanipulation systems. With his most cited paper, “Micro-robotic Handling Solutions for PCB (re-)Manufacturing” (28 citations), Fontana addresses critical challenges in miniaturized electronics production and end-of-life reuse. His recent application of advanced deep learning algorithms like Mask R-CNN and YOLOv8 for PCB defect detection (2025, 11 citations) demonstrates his commitment to integrating cutting-edge AI with traditional manufacturing. Fontana’s research has also explored automation solutions for flexible electronics assembly and optical backplane interconnection circuits, showcasing his versatility. His work, accumulating over 100 citations, is essential reading for students and researchers in micro-robotics, automation, and smart manufacturing.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Micro-robotic Handling Solutions for PCB (re-)Manufacturing

   28 citations · 2017
2. 2
   A mini work-cell for handling and assembling microcomponents

   13 citations · 2014
3. 3
   Handling and Manipulation of Microcomponents: Work-Cell Design and Preliminary Experiments

   13 citations · 2012
4. 4
   Application of Mask R-CNN and YOLOv8 algorithms for defect detection in printed circuit board manufacturing

   11 citations · 2025
5. 5
   Flexible Vision Based Control for Micro-Factories

   11 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Micro-assembly

   10 citations · 2017
7. 7
   Unconventional calibration strategies for micromanipulation work-cells

   9 citations · 2018
8. 8
   Numerical and experimental study on protective film removal towards the automation of flexible electronics assembly

   3 citations · 2022
9. 9
   Design and Development of a Fully Automated Assembly Solution for Optical Backplane Interconnection Circuits

   2 citations · 2015
10. 10
    A Novel Method and Mechanism for Micro-Sphere Singularization

    2 citations · 2017

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links