Stefano Marras

Institute for Coastal Marine Environment

Papers

Total Citations

213

H-Index

About

Stefano Marras is a leading researcher in the field of biomimetic robotics and collective animal behavior, with a particular focus on the interactions between live fish and robotic surrogates. His most cited work, "Fish and robots swimming together: attraction towards the robot demands biomimetic locomotion" (2012, 191 citations), demonstrates a groundbreaking experimental method where a robotic fish is integrated into a school of golden shiners. This study reveals that the robot’s biomimetic locomotion is critical for attracting live fish, offering a powerful new tool to probe the mechanisms of collective behavior, such as group feedback and decision-making. In a related study (2013, 22 citations), Marras explored how robotic fish can modulate risk-taking behavior in golden shiners, further showcasing the potential of bio-inspired robots to influence natural animal dynamics. His work bridges engineering and biology, providing novel insights into social interactions and the design of autonomous systems. Marras’s contributions have significant implications for understanding animal cognition, developing environmental monitoring tools, and advancing robotics. His research is highly cited and continues to inspire interdisciplinary approaches to studying complex living systems.