PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Bruno Siciliano

Bruno Siciliano is a robotics researcher whose work spans robot control, human–robot cooperation, and medical robotics. He was born in Naples in 1959, earned degrees in electronic engineering there, and built a faculty career at Federico II and the University of Salerno. He led the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society in 2008–2009 and coauthored the 2009 textbook Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control. In 2023, he received an ERC Synergy Grant for EndoTheranostics, an endoscopic soft-robot project; in 2024 he received the IEEE RAS Pioneer Award. In May 2025, he joined Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency committee and coauthored Foundations of Robotics in September 2025; as of October 2026, he is a professor and director of PRISMA Lab at Federico II.

Now at
University of Naples Federico II and ICAROS Center
Works
546
Citations
22,415
h-index
62
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1959–2003

    Education and early career

    He is born in Naples in 1959 and earns a Laurea degree in Electronic Engineering in 1982 and a Research Doctorate in 1987 from the University of Naples. From September 1985 to June 1986, he visits Georgia Tech's School of Mechanical Engineering to study flexible robot manipulators. He joins University of Naples Federico II as an assistant professor in 1989, serves as Professor of Automatic Control at University of Salerno's Department of Information and Electrical Engineering from 2000 to 2003, and returns to Federico II in 2003.

  2. 2008–2009

    President of IEEE RAS

    From 2008 to 2009, he serves as President of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.

  3. 2009

    Robotics: modelling, planning and control

    In 2009, he coauthors Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control with Lorenzo Sciavicco, Luigi Villani, and Giuseppe Oriolo. The book covers robot manipulation, visual control, motion planning, and mobile robots.

  4. 2023

    A grant for EndoTheranostics

    In 2023, he receives an ERC Synergy Grant for EndoTheranostics, a six-year project developing a sensorized soft robot for diagnosis and treatment during colonoscopy.

  5. 2024

    Pioneer in robotics award

    In 2024, he receives the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society's Pioneer in Robotics and Automation Award for contributions to manipulation and control, human–robot cooperation, and service robotics.

  6. May–September 2025

    A committee appointment and new book

    In May 2025, Federico II names him to the Technical-Scientific Committee of Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency. In September 2025, he coauthors Foundations of Robotics with Luigi Villani, Giuseppe Oriolo, and Alessandro De Luca; new chapters address flexible-joint robots, cooperative manipulation, and robotic hands.

  7. As of October 2026

    Professor and lab director

    As of October 2026, he is Professor and Director of PRISMA Lab at University of Naples Federico II. He is responsible for the HuRoIn (Human-Robot Interaction) research area and chairs the Scientific Council of the ICAROS Center.

Career

  1. Since 1989University of Naples Federico IIAssistant Professor
  2. NowICAROS CenterChair
  3. From 2025National Cybersecurity Agency of ItalyMember
  4. 2016–2020C.R.E.A.T.E. Consorzio Di Ricerca Per L'Energia E Le Applicazioni Technologiche Dell'Elettromagnetismo
  5. 2000–2003University of SalernoProfessor of Automatic Control
  6. 1985–1986Georgia Institute of Technology

Education

  1. 1987University of Naples Federico IIResearch Doctorate
  2. 1982University of Naples Federico IILaurea in Electronic Engineering

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. Modelling and Control of Robot Manipulators2000 · Advanced textbooks in control and signal processing · 1,701 citations
  2. Robotics2008 · Advanced textbooks in control and signal processing · 1,314 citations
  3. An atlas of physical human–robot interaction2007 · Mechanism and Machine Theory · 827 citationsWith Antonio Bicchi
  4. A general framework for managing multiple tasks in highly redundant robotic systems1991 · 613 citations
  5. Kinematic control of redundant robot manipulators: A tutorial1990 · Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems · 585 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Naples Federico II. Our estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers rose from 2% to 32%Includes University of Naples Federico II. We estimate where leading AI researchers worked when their most-cited papers appeared. The company share rose from 2% in 1975–1979 to 32% in 2020–2024.
  3. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Naples Federico II. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Georgia Institute of Technology. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Bruno Siciliano yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Oral-History:Bruno Siciliano - Engineering and Technology History Wiki ethw.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control books.google.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Professor Bruno Siciliano is the recipient of an ERC Synergy Grant – Oct 2023 prisma.dieti.unina.it. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. Pioneer in Robotics and Automation Award ieee-ras.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. 2025 Press Club prisma.dieti.unina.it. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. Foundations of Robotics is out! The new textbook by Siciliano, Villani, Oriolo, De Luca, has been published by Springer Nature – September 2025 prisma.dieti.unina.it. Checked 18 October 2026.
  7. Faculty prisma.dieti.unina.it. Checked 18 October 2026.