Diana Serra

About

Diana Serra is a roboticist whose research focuses on the dynamic, nonprehensile manipulation of objects—a field where robots interact with objects without grasping them, using techniques like batting, juggling, and rolling. Her major contributions center on developing planning and control strategies for high-speed, dexterous tasks that mimic human-like coordination. Serra’s work on the Robotic Dynamic Manipulation (RoDyMan) project, detailed in her most-cited paper (28 citations), advances the state of the art in nonprehensile manipulation by disseminating novel algorithms for tasks such as table tennis and ball juggling. She has introduced optimal trajectory planners for robotic batting (14 citations) and nonlinear least squares approaches for dual-hand juggling (14 citations), demonstrating precise, real-time control. Her research also explores the reconfiguration of objects like rolling spheres on plates (6 citations), leveraging nonholonomic constraints to achieve complex motions. With a total of 65 citations across her key papers, Serra’s work is pivotal for applications in manufacturing, service robotics, and sports automation. Her achievements highlight a commitment to pushing the boundaries of robotic agility and adaptability, making her a leading figure in dynamic manipulation.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Nonprehensile Manipulation of Deformable Objects: Achievements and Perspectives from the Robotic Dynamic Manipulation Project

   28 citations · 2018
2. 2
   An Optimal Trajectory Planner for a Robotic Batting Task: The Table Tennis Example

   14 citations · 2016
3. 3
   A Nonlinear Least Squares Approach for Nonprehensile Dual-Hand Robotic Ball Juggling

   14 citations · 2017
4. 4
   On the Experiments About the Nonprehensile Reconfiguration of a Rolling Sphere on a Plate

   6 citations · 2018
5. 5
   Time-Optimal Paths for a Robotic Batting Task

   3 citations · 2017

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links