Since 2021, Rocco Vertechy (male) is Full Professor at the Industrial Engineering Department of the School of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Bologna in Italy, where he leads the group on advanced actuation technologies and renewable energy robotic systems.
Rocco is Mechanical Engineer (2001) and PhD in Mechanics of Machines (2005). He was: Research Assistant at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury (New Zealand); Visiting Researcher at the Robotics Locomotion Laboratory, Stanford University (California); Contract Professor at the University of Bologna; Assistant Professor at the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Italy).
Rocco’s teaching is devoted to the kinematics and dynamics of multibody systems as well as to the analysis and design of mechatronic devices, robotic systems and of automatic machinery. In particular, he is currently teaching the following classes at the University of Bologna: Fundamentals of Mechanics of Machines, Automatic Machines and Mechanics of Machines for Automation.
Rocco’s research interests are:
- mechatronic systems based on smart materials and compliant mechanisms;
- innovative actuators for enhanced physical human-robot interaction;
- innovative generators for the harvesting of energy from renewable sources.
Application of research results has focused on the development of:
- planar and spatial mechanisms for precision manufacturing and assembly,
- robotic exoskeletons and parallel manipulators for human performance augmentation and rehabilitation,
- snake-like mobile robots for search and rescue operations,
- wave energy converters based on dielectric elastomer generators,
- soft actuators and sensors based on dielectric elastomer materials for robotic applications.
Rocco’s expertise concerns:
- multi-physics modelling, design, simulation and control of complex robotic and mechatronic systems,
- experimental characterization and constitutive modelling of polymers and smart materials.
Rocco has authored more than 100 papers published in major ISI journals, books and international conferences in the mechatronics/robotics field, has edited the book Smart Actuation and Sensing Systems: Recent Advances and Future Challenges published by InTech and is inventor of one international patent owned by the European Space Agency.
Rocco gave invited presentations on the modelling and application of DE transducers at: EuroEAP 2017, International conference on Electromechanically Active Polymer (EAP) transducers & artificial muscles; 2015 SPIE Smart Structures/NDE - Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) Conference; ASME Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS-2011 and SMASIS-2015); Training school of the European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles; Yale University; Harvard Medical School.
Rocco has been leading guest editor for the special issue on Wearable Robotics published in the IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine (Vol. 21, N. 4, 2014) and guest editor for the special issue on Soft Mechatronics published in the journal Meccanica (Vol. 50, N. 11, 2015).
Rocco is currently serving as member of the: program committee for the SPIE Smart Structures/NDE - Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) Conference; Adaptive Structures and Material Systems (ASMS) Branch of the Aerospace Division in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME); Chair of the Modeling, Dynamics, and Control of Adaptive Systems Technical Committee (MDCTC) of the Aerospace Division in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Rocco has been scientific responsible and WP leader in a number of research projects funded by Italian and European Public Institutions (for instance, the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of Education and Research and the European Space Agency) as well as by private Industries.
