Manel Frigola

About

Manel Frigola is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction, computer vision, and intelligent control systems. His research has made significant contributions to enabling safer, more intuitive collaboration between humans and robotic systems, spanning gesture-based interfaces, sensitive robotic skins, and distributed control architectures. Among his most influential contributions, Frigola pioneered reactive control strategies using sensitive bumper skins to allow robots to operate safely alongside humans (25 citations), and developed optimal bandwidth allocation policies for networked control of highly articulated robots (23 citations). His vision-based work is equally notable — from stereoscopic human body tracking in natural scenes (17 citations) to gesture-driven human-machine interfaces (18 citations), demonstrating a consistent commitment to making robot control more natural and accessible. Frigola's research extends into surgical robotics, teleoperation through virtual exoskeletons, domestic action recognition using hand-based spatiotemporal features, and accessible assistive technologies such as wheelchair-embedded exoskeleton systems. This breadth reflects a career dedicated to bringing robotic systems closer to real human needs. With over 110 cumulative citations across a decade of diverse contributions, his work remains a meaningful reference point for researchers advancing safe, perception-driven human-robot collaboration.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Human-Robot Interaction Based on a Sensitive Bumper Skin

   25 citations · 2006
2. 2
   Bandwidth Management for Distributed Control of Highly Articulated Robots

   23 citations · 2006
3. 3
   Visual human machine interface by gestures

   18 citations · 2004
4. 4
   Stereoscopic system for human body tracking in natural scenes

   17 citations · 2003
5. 5
   Virtual Exoskeleton for Telemanipulation

   11 citations · 2007
6. 6
   Human robot interaction from visual perception

   7 citations · 2005
7. 7
   La Robótica, una valiosa herramienta en Cirugía

   5 citations · 2009
8. 8
   Modelling daily actions through hand-based spatio-temporal features

   4 citations · 2015
9. 9
   A Preliminary Approach to a Wheelchair with Embedded Exoskeleton Capabilities

   3 citations · 2022
10. 10
    Quasi Hands Free Interaction with a Robot for Online Task Correction

    3 citations · 2006

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links