PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Francesco Mondada

Francesco Mondada is an EPFL robotics researcher whose work spans neural-network robots, swarm robotics and AI in teaching. He studied microengineering, co-founded K-Team and developed robots including s-bot and Thymio. The 2022 Polytechnik-Preis recognized Thymio's use in computational-thinking education, and in 2025 he introduced a debate-based AI chatbot for his mobile robotics course. He directs EPFL’s MOBOTS group and serves as academic director of Center LEARN.

Born
1967
Links
Website

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1986–1997

    Neural networks and K-Team

    At EPFL, he begins microengineering studies in 1986. His diploma project is a robot juggler with visual sensors and neural networks; he earns an MSc in 1991 and a doctorate in 1997. During his doctoral work, he co-founds K-Team.

  2. 2000

    The s-bot platform

    After a short period at Caltech, he returns to research in 2000 and develops the s-bot platform in SWARM-BOTS. The robot can self-assemble with other robots.

  3. 2006

    Thymio for children

    In 2006, the EPFL Laboratory of Robotic Systems, which he directs, develops an affordable robot for children called Thymio.

  4. 2022

    The Polytechnik-Preis

    In 2022, he receives the Polytechnik-Preis for Thymio II and its application to teaching computational thinking.

  5. 2025

    A debate-based AI tutor

    In 2025, he introduces an AI chatbot for EPFL’s MICRO-452 mobile robotics course with Aitor Pérez of the Center for Digital Education. The chatbot plays another student in debate and questions learners’ reasoning.

  6. As of October 2026

    MOBOTS and Center LEARN

    He heads EPFL’s MOBOTS group and serves as academic director of the LEARN center.

  1. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI from 1961 to 2025, with a year-by-year chart.
  2. The United States employs an estimated 53% of people in our data with a known employment countryOur estimates of where AI careers are concentrated now and how countries’ shares of dated positions changed over time.
  3. 46% of living people in our data with known birth and employment countries work outside their birth countryOur estimate of cross-border careers in AI, from country of birth and the country of each current organization.
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionOur estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.

Sources and credits

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

  1. Le pionnier de la robotique qui bâtit des ponts swissinfo.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. EPFL - Francesco Mondada people.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. Oral-History:Francesco Mondada ethw.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  4. EPFL - Thymio thymio.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  5. Prof. Francesco Mondada receives Prestigious Polytechnik-Preis 2022 actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  6. Debating with AI: A New Pedagogical Approach in Mobile Robotics actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  7. Private Homepage of Francesco Mondada mondada.net. Checked 19 October 2026.