Giovanni Morana
Papers
1
Total Citations
16
H-Index
1
About
Giovanni Morana is a pioneer in the field of robotic perception and autonomous navigation, with a core focus on developing sensory systems that allow robots to operate safely in unknown environments. His most influential work introduces the concept of a "sensitive skin" for robots—a distributed network of ultrasonic (US) and infrared (IR) proximity sensors designed to cover the entire surface of a machine. This groundbreaking approach, detailed in his 2002 paper "Avoiding obstacles by using a proximity US/IR sensitive skin" (16 citations), addresses a fundamental challenge in robotics: how to detect and avoid obstacles without relying on pre-mapped surroundings. Morana’s contribution lies in both the hardware architecture and the logical framework that fuses data from multiple sensor types, enabling real-time, robust collision avoidance. By moving beyond single-point sensors to a full-body tactile awareness system, his work has laid essential groundwork for the development of safer, more autonomous robots in applications ranging from industrial automation to service robotics. His research remains a touchstone for engineers designing adaptive, environment-aware machines.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Avoiding obstacles by using a proximity US/IR sensitive skin16 citations · 2002