Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Stefano Orofino is a leading researcher in bioinspired robotics, with a primary focus on developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that mimic the locomotion and sensory capabilities of aquatic life. His most significant contribution is his central role in the EU-funded CoCoRo project, which pioneered the concept of heterogeneous, self-aware underwater swarms for environmental monitoring and search operations—a work that has garnered over 100 citations. Orofino is renowned for his deep integration of neuroscience and biomechanics, particularly in creating robotic platforms inspired by the lamprey, an eel-like fish. His 2012 paper on a novel autonomous, bioinspired swimming robot, which has accumulated 88 citations, demonstrates how neuroscientific findings on lamprey spinal circuits can be translated into compliant, neuro-inspired control systems for untethered robots. He has also advanced the field of underwater reconfigurable robotics, equipping modular platforms with a bioinspired electric sense for enhanced perception in murky waters. Beyond research, Orofino is committed to education, having developed minirobot-based teaching labs to inspire the next generation of roboticists. His work bridges fundamental biology and practical engineering, offering powerful tools for studying goal-directed locomotion and collective behavior in complex underwater environments.