Francesco Fanelli

About

Francesco Fanelli is a robotics researcher whose work spans autonomous vehicle navigation, state estimation, and wearable robotic systems. His most influential contributions lie in the domain of attitude estimation for mobile and underwater robots, where he has developed sophisticated algorithms to tackle real-world challenges such as magnetic disturbances and unknown environmental forces. His 2016 paper on attitude estimation under unknown magnetic disturbances has garnered 110 citations, establishing him as a leading voice in robust navigation for autonomous systems. Complementing this, his work on Unscented Kalman Filter-based sea current estimation during Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) navigation — cited 47 times — demonstrates his ability to address complex, dynamic marine environments. Fanelli has also contributed to under-ice exploration robotics through the Autosub 2000 project and developed scalable path planning solutions using Bézier curves. Beyond underwater systems, he has made meaningful strides in assistive robotics, designing wearable hand exoskeletons with optimization-based scaling procedures to support patients with neuromuscular impairments. His research reflects a rare breadth — bridging advanced estimation theory, autonomous marine vehicles, and human-assistive technologies — making him a versatile and impactful figure in modern robotics research.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   An Attitude Estimation Algorithm for Mobile Robots Under Unknown Magnetic Disturbances

   110 citations · 2016
2. 2
   Sea currents estimation during AUV navigation using Unscented Kalman Filter

   47 citations · 2017
3. 3
   Single axis FOG aided attitude estimation algorithm for mobile robots

   40 citations · 2015
4. 4
   Autosub 2000 Under Ice: Design of a New Work Class AUV for Under Ice Exploration

   19 citations · 2020
5. 5
   Optimization-based scaling procedure for the design of fully portable hand exoskeletons

   18 citations · 2018
6. 6
   Generic Path Planning Algorithm for Mobile Robots Based on Bézier Curves

   17 citations · 2016
7. 7
   Underwater Vehicles attitude estimation in presence of magnetic disturbances

   13 citations · 2016
8. 8
   A multi-platform Guidance, Navigation and Control system for the autosub family of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

   10 citations · 2024
9. 9
   Design and Motion Analysis of a Wearable and Portable Hand Exoskeleton

   10 citations · 2016
10. 10
    An automatic scaling procedure for a wearable and portable hand exoskeleton

    9 citations · 2016

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links