Leonardo Meli
Papers
16
Total Citations
776
H-Index
12
About
Leonardo Meli is a pioneering researcher in haptics, wearable robotics, and human-robot interaction, whose work sits at the intersection of sensory feedback engineering and assistive technology. He is best known for his groundbreaking contributions to cutaneous haptic feedback systems, demonstrating how ungrounded tactile cues can enhance robotic teleoperation while preserving system stability — a finding that has garnered over 145 citations and reshaped thinking in the field. His influential work on "sensory subtraction" in robot-assisted surgery (98 citations) introduced an elegant framework for delivering safe yet informative force feedback to surgeons, addressing a long-standing clinical challenge. Meli has also advanced wearable haptic technologies significantly, developing devices such as the GESTO glove for hand tracking and tactile feedback (94 citations) and the hBracelet for distributed upper-limb stimulation. Particularly notable is his compassionate application of these technologies to stroke rehabilitation, where supernumerary robotic fingers paired with vibrotactile feedback offer new independence to chronic stroke patients. His research spans virtual reality, surgical robotics, and augmented human capability, accumulating hundreds of citations across a decade of output. Students exploring haptics, assistive robotics, or human-centered design will find Meli's body of work both technically rigorous and profoundly human in its motivations.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 7Touch the virtual reality54 citations · 2015
- 8Vibrotactile haptic feedback for intuitive control of robotic extra fingers47 citations · 2015
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