Associate Professor
BioRobotics Institute
Stefano Palagi
Bio
SHORT BIO
I obtained a MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering in 2009 at the University of Pisa, Italy. In January 2013, I received a PhD in “Innovative Technologies – Biorobotics” at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa, Italy). From February 2013 to January 2014 I was a research fellow at the Center for Micro-BioRobotics@SSSA (Pisa, Italy) of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. From January 2014 to May 2018, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Stuttgart, Germany) in the Max Planck Research Group for Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems. From June 2015, I was also a fellow of the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems. From May 2018 to January 2021 I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Bioinspired Soft Robotics group of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. In February 2021 I started as Assistant Professor at the BioRobotics Institute of Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa, Italy), and I have been promoted to Associate Professor in February 2024. I am PI of the Microscale Robotics Laboratory and vice-coordinator of the PhD in BioRobotics.
Research
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
My core research interest is microrobotics, that is, the development of mobile robots at the microscale (sub-millimeter dimensions). I am driven by the potential revolutionary applications that such microrobots could have in minimally invasive medicine, as well as by the fundamental challenge of realizing true, intelligent robots of microscopic dimensions. My approach involves taking inspiration from cells to endow microrobots with essential robotic functionality. For more information please visit the Microscale Robotics Laboratory's page.
RESEARCH GRANTS
Publications
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Palagi S, Singh DP, Fischer P. Light‐controlled micromotors and soft microrobots. Advanced Optical Materials. 2019 Aug;7(16):1900370. [full-text]
- Palagi S, Fischer P. Bioinspired microrobots. Nature Reviews Materials. 2018 Jun;3(6):113-24. [full-text]
- Palagi S, Mark AG, Reigh SY, Melde K, Qiu T, Zeng H, Parmeggiani C, Martella D, Sanchez-Castillo A, Kapernaum N, Giesselmann F. Structured light enables biomimetic swimming and versatile locomotion of photoresponsive soft microrobots. Nature Materials. 2016 Jun;15(6):647-53. [full-text]
- Palagi S, Jager EW, Mazzolai B, Beccai L. Propulsion of swimming microrobots inspired by metachronal waves in ciliates: from biology to material specifications. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. 2013 Oct 8;8(4):046004. [full-text]
- Palagi S, Mazzolai B, Innocenti C, Sangregorio C, Beccai L. How does buoyancy of hydrogel microrobots affect their magnetic propulsion in liquids?. Applied Physics Letters. 2013 Mar 25;102(12):124102.
The full list of publications is available here.