Pietro Fanghella

About

Pietro Fanghella is an Italian robotics and mechanical engineering researcher whose work spans two richly interconnected domains: the theoretical foundations of mechanism kinematics and the practical design of advanced mobile robots. Beginning his career with rigorous mathematical contributions, his 1995 paper on displacement groups and metric relations in mechanism kinematics (63 citations) established systematic theoretical tools that continue to underpin robot analysis and synthesis. His 1996 work unifying modular kinematic methods for planar linkages and his influential 2006 study on parallel robots that change their group of motion (86 citations) further cemented his reputation as a leading voice in kinematic theory. In parallel, Fanghella has made substantial contributions to ground mobile robotics. His 2022 review of tracked locomotion systems (79 citations) has become an essential reference for researchers navigating this rapidly evolving field. The hybrid leg-wheel-track robot platforms he has developed — including the Mantis series and the WheTLHLoc robot (61 citations) — demonstrate his talent for translating theory into versatile, real-world systems designed for surveillance and inspection in demanding environments. Most recently, his bio-inspired Porcospino robot showcases his continuing innovation in navigating confined, unstructured spaces. Collectively, his body of work reflects a rare ability to bridge abstract mechanical theory and cutting-edge robotic engineering.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Parallel robots that change their group of motion

   86 citations · 2006
2. 2
   Tracked Locomotion Systems for Ground Mobile Robots: A Review

   79 citations · 2022
3. 3
   Metric Relations and Displacement Groups in Mechanism and Robot Kinematics

   63 citations · 1995
4. 4
   Functional Design of a Hybrid Leg-Wheel-Track Ground Mobile Robot

   61 citations · 2021
5. 5
   Functional Redesign of Mantis 2.0, a Hybrid Leg-Wheel Robot for Surveillance and Inspection

   29 citations · 2015
6. 6
   Mantis: hybrid leg-wheel ground mobile robot

   26 citations · 2014
7. 7
   Assur’s Groups, AKCs, Basic Trusses, SOCs, etc.: Modular Kinematics of Planar Linkages

   15 citations · 1996
8. 8
   Kinematics of Robot Mechanisms with Closed Actuating Loops

   13 citations · 1990
9. 9
   Porcospino, spined single-track mobile robot for inspection of narrow spaces

   12 citations · 2023
10. 10
    Particular or general methods in robot kinematics?

    12 citations · 1989

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links