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About

Roberto Naldi is a pioneering researcher in aerial robotics, with a particular focus on aerial manipulation, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and physical human-robot interaction. His most celebrated contributions center on the design, modeling, and control of aerial manipulators — innovative systems that combine quadrotor helicopters or ducted-fan aircraft with robotic arms to perform complex physical tasks in real-world environments. Naldi's work has fundamentally advanced the field of aerial service robotics. His landmark papers on aerial manipulator prototypes and contact-based inspection systems, which have collectively garnered hundreds of citations, established foundational frameworks for enabling UAVs to interact safely and precisely with their surroundings. His 2014 prototype development paper alone attracted 164 citations, reflecting its broad influence. He has also made significant strides in impedance control strategies for aerial robots and in solving the challenging problem of suspended load transportation using nested saturation control methods. Beyond individual platforms, Naldi has contributed to the theory of modular aerial robots capable of switching between underactuated and fully actuated behaviors, broadening the versatility of aerial systems. His involvement in the European AIRobots project further demonstrates his commitment to translating research into practical inspection and service applications, making him a central figure in modern aerial robotics research.