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About

Miquel Canals is a leading figure in underwater robotics, whose work has fundamentally advanced the dexterity and sensory capabilities of subsea manipulation systems. His primary research focus is the development of advanced robotic hands for deep-sea sampling, a critical need for marine biology, geology, and offshore engineering. Canals’s most significant contribution is the AMADEUS project, a groundbreaking initiative that created a dexterous subsea robot hand. Unlike traditional rigid grippers, the AMADEUS hand uses fluid-filled tentacles for fingers, with hydraulic pressure variations in flexible bellows enabling precise bending and contact force control. This innovative design, detailed in his highly cited 1997 paper (131 citations), allows for the delicate grasping and manipulation of fragile objects in harsh underwater environments. His subsequent work (2002, 33 citations) refined this system, integrating force and slip contact sensing. By pioneering soft, compliant manipulation for deep-sea applications, Canals has laid the essential groundwork for future autonomous underwater intervention, enabling safer and more effective sampling of our planet’s last frontier.