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About

Daniele Pucci is a leading robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of humanoid robot control, teleoperation, and human-robot interaction. Based at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, he has made foundational contributions to whole-body control, motion retargeting, and avatar robotics systems, primarily through the iconic iCub humanoid platform. Pucci's research has fundamentally advanced how humanoid robots perceive, balance, and move in complex environments. His work on force regulation for whole-body control (105 citations) and nonlinear model predictive control for locomotion established robust frameworks still widely referenced today. His contributions to motion retargeting — enabling real-time transfer of human movements to humanoid robots — have been pivotal in making teleoperation practically viable. This culminated in the ambitious iCub3 avatar system (60 citations), which enables full immersive embodiment of humanoid robots by remote human operators. His most cited work, a comprehensive survey on humanoid robot teleoperation (236 citations), reflects his authoritative standing in the field. He also explored unconventional directions, including flying humanoid robots, demonstrating remarkable breadth. Through projects like CoDyCo and participation in the ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition, Pucci has consistently bridged theoretical innovation with real-world robotic applications.