Andrea Cherubini - LIGEROB: Towards Mobile Collaborative Robots to Ease the Burden of Industrial Work

LIGEROB project

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.

Overview

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.

Objectives

At the heart of the project lies the collaborative nature of these robots: they are designed to be perceived as true work partners, enhancing safety, comfort, and precision for human operators. To achieve this, LIGEROB addresses four major scientific and technological challenges:

• Overview
• Combining physics-based modelling with data-driven learning methods for intelligent and adaptive control.
• Enabling smooth and safe human–robot interaction;
• Ensuring coordinated and efficient control of all sensors and actuators;
• Equipping robots with the ability to handle complex, large, heavy, or deformable objects;

Methods

These developments will be validated in real-world conditions, in collaboration with industrial and scientific partners from the Pays de la Loire region. The project brings together LS2N (coordinator), GeM, and MIP laboratories, as well as several regional companies and technology transfer organisations. Together, they aim to make LIGEROB a driver of innovation for a more human, agile, and sustainable industry.

About Andrea Cherubini

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.

Throughout his career, Andrea Cherubini has been involved in several national and European projects in advanced robotics, such as H2020 VERSATILE and H2020 SOPHIA. He has also contributed to the training of many engineers and researchers, serving as head of the “Robotics” track of the EEA master’s degree in Montpellier.

Today, he leads the LIGEROB project, where he puts his expertise at the service of developing robotics that are more human-centred, adaptive, and useful.