Andrea Maesani

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Papers

Total Citations

120

H-Index

About

Andrea Maesani is a pioneer in evolutionary robotics and programmable self-assembly, whose work bridges artificial evolution and soft robotics to create adaptive, autonomous systems. His landmark project, **RoboGen** (2014), with over 95 combined citations, introduced a groundbreaking platform that evolves robot morphologies and controllers through artificial evolution, directly addressing the pedagogical need for hands-on, inquiry-based learning in robotics. By enabling students and researchers to generate diverse robotic designs from scratch, Maesani’s work transformed how complex robotic systems are taught and prototyped. He further advanced the field with **Soft Cells for Programmable Self-Assembly** (2014, 20 citations), where he pioneered the use of soft, deformable modules that can self-assemble into chained robotic structures—overcoming the rigidity limitations of traditional modular robots to unlock a vastly wider range of morphologies. His **Soft Cell Simulator** (2013) provided a vital computational tool for studying multi-cellular soft robots, laying the groundwork for mechanically adaptive systems. Maesani’s contributions have been instrumental in shifting modular robotics from hard, static blocks to soft, evolvable, and educationally accessible platforms, making him a key figure in the next generation of adaptive robotic design.