Andrea Cherubini, winner of the Connect Talent award for the LIGEROB project: Towards Mobile Collaborative Robots to Ease the Burden of Industrial Work

Andrea Cherubini is a lecturer and researcher in robotics at Centrale Nantes, within the LS2N (Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes). Originally from Italy, he first earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from La Sapienza University in Rome, followed by a second master’s in control systems at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. He then completed a PhD at La Sapienza, specialising in control and robotics.

After defending his thesis, he joined Inria Rennes as a postdoctoral researcher, where he deepened his work on human–robot interaction. In 2011, he moved to the University of Montpellier and the LIRMM (Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics of Montpellier), where he spent over a decade conducting research and teaching. His work has focused on robotic manipulation, sensor fusion, and multimodal control combining vision, touch, and machine learning.

The LIGEROB project aims to improve working conditions in the manufacturing and construction sectors. By harnessing collaborative robotics, it seeks to reduce the physical strain of manual tasks without removing their rewarding aspect, developing robots that assist operators rather than replace them. LIGEROB focuses on the design of versatile mobile collaborative manipulators — robots combining dexterity and mobility, capable of adapting to a variety of environments and uses. These modular systems can change configuration depending on context: moving on wheels in flat indoor spaces, or operating on cables in large work areas. This versatility will allow them to intervene in diverse situations — from workshop handling to elevated construction site operations.

Further information on the LIGEROB project