Alessandro Morra

Papers

Total Citations

426

H-Index

About

Alessandro Morra is a roboticist whose work pushes the boundaries of agile, wheeled bipedal locomotion. His research centers on the design, modeling, and control of novel mobile robots capable of navigating complex indoor environments with high speed and agility. Morra’s most significant contribution is the creation of Ascento, a two-wheeled jumping robot, introduced in a 2019 paper that has garnered 243 citations. This work addresses the critical challenge of combining rapid ground travel with the ability to overcome obstacles. To control such a dynamic system, Morra developed a hierarchical whole-body controller using LQR optimization, detailed in a 2020 paper with 179 citations. This framework provides closed-form dynamic solutions for robots with kinematic loops, like Ascento, enabling stable and agile maneuvers. Beyond wheeled bipeds, Morra has also explored novel mechanical designs for multi-legged locomotion, as seen in his work on the CAMI force-compliant variable cam system. Through his innovative hardware and advanced control strategies, Morra is a leading figure in creating the next generation of high-performance inspection and surveillance robots.