Bio-inspired Marine Robotics and Robotics for Marine Science

Research interests

Researcher at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, in the EMERGE group of the Department of Renewable Marine Resources. I obtained a PhD in Biorobotics at the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Pisa, 2019), with a visiting period at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

My research interests lie in the design and control of robotic systems, with a primary focus on marine robotics. My work spans two synergistic areas: robotics for marine science, developing solutions for exploration, monitoring and intervention in underwater environments; and bioinspiration, extracting principles from nature's designs to inform novel robotic solutions, such as the underwater legged robot SILVER2.

Google Scholar · ORCID · GitHub · ICM-CSIC
Contact: gpicardi@icm.csic.es

Current position

"la Caixa" Junior Leader Fellow at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona — ICM-CSIC

Past positions

• Postdoctoral researcher, ICM-CSIC, 2025–2026
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow, ICM-CSIC, 2023–2025
• Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellow, ICM-CSIC, 2023
• Visiting scholar, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 2023–2024
• Postdoctoral researcher, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, 2020–2023
• Visiting scholar, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, 2019

Education

• PhD in Biorobotics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, 2019 — A bioinspired approach to underwater legged robotics
• MSc in Robotics and Automation Engineering, Università di Pisa, 2016 — thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
• BSc in Computer Engineering, Università di Pisa, 2013

Fellowships

• Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC2025-055672-I)
• "la Caixa" Junior Leader fellowship — project BEN-FLOW, 2026–2029
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship — project BluE (G.A. 101061354), 2023–2025
• Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellowship (2021 BP 00039), 2023

Gallery

Journal publications

• Aguzzi J., Chatzidouros E., Buscaino G., Chatzievangelou D., Picardi G., … & Papaelias M. (2026). A policy-driven design of energy-autonomous intelligent observatories for marine biodiversity monitoring. Engineering. doi
• Aguirregomezcorta J., Aguzzi J. & Picardi G. (2026). A review and case study on underwater legged robot simulation. Ocean Engineering (accepted).
• Picardi G., Iacoponi S., Carandell M., Aguirregomezcorta J., Chellapurath M., del Rio J., … & Aguzzi J. (2025). An open toolkit for underwater field robotics. arXiv:2512.15597. arXiv
• Ortenzi L., Aguzzi J., Chatzievangelou D., … Masmitja I., … & Costa C. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence and marine ecological monitoring. Environmental Modelling & Software, 106789.
• Aguzzi J., Chatzidouros E., Chatzievangelou D., … & Doyle J. (2025). A digital-twin strategy using robots for marine ecosystem monitoring. Ecological Informatics, 103409.
• Clavel-Henry M., Flögel S., Toma D. M., … Picardi G., … & Aguzzi J. (2025). A roadmap for designing a virtual interface to explore a digital twin of the oceans for marine ecosystems monitoring. Ecological Informatics, 103483.
• Picardi G., Astolfi A., Seemakurthy K., Hurst B., Piana E., Bosilj P. & Calisti M. (2025). Visual servoing of an underwater robotic arm for automatic sorting of crustaceans. Smart Agricultural Technology, 12, 101168.
• Aguzzi J., Cuadros J., Dartnell L., … & Foing B. (2024). Marine science can contribute to the search for extra-terrestrial life. Life, 14(6), 676.
• Aguzzi J., Thomsen L., Flögel S., Robinson N. J., Picardi G., … & Danovaro R. (2024). New technologies for monitoring and upscaling marine ecosystem restoration in deep-sea environments. Engineering, 34, 195–211.
• Astolfi A., Chellapurath M., Picardi G., Capriotti M., Mladinich K., Laschi C., … & Calisti M. (2024). Marine sediment sampling with an underwater legged robot: a user-driven sampling approach for microplastic analysis. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 31(1), 62–71.
• Picardi G., Astolfi A., Chatzievangelou D., Aguzzi J. & Calisti M. (2023). Underwater legged robotics: review and perspectives. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 18(3), 031001.
• Falahzadeh A., Toma D. M., Francescangeli M., … & del Río J. (2023). A new coastal crawler prototype to expand the ecological monitoring radius of OBSEA cabled observatory. J. Marine Science and Engineering, 11(4), 857.
• Picardi G., De Luca M., Chimienti G., Cianchetti M. & Calisti M. (2023). User-driven design and development of an underwater soft gripper for biological sampling and litter collection. J. Marine Science and Engineering, 11(4), 771.
• Aguzzi J., Flögel S., Marini S., … & Danovaro R. (2022). Developing technological synergies between deep-sea and space research. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 10(1), 00064.
• Aguzzi J., Chatzievangelou D., Robinson N. J., … & Doyle J. (2022). Advancing fishery-independent stock assessments for the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) with new monitoring technologies. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 969071.
• Astolfi A., Picardi G. & Calisti M. (2021). Multilegged underwater running with articulated legs. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 38(3), 1841–1855.
• Chellapurath M., Walker K. L., Donato E., Picardi G., Stefanni S., Laschi C., … & Calisti M. (2021). Analysis of station keeping performance of an underwater legged robot. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 27(5), 3730–3741.
• George Thuruthel T., Picardi G., Iida F., Laschi C. & Calisti M. (2021). Learning to stop: a unifying principle for legged locomotion in varying environments. Royal Society Open Science, 8(4), 210223.
• Picardi G., Hauser H., Laschi C. & Calisti M. (2021). Morphologically induced stability on an underwater legged robot with a deformable body. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 40(1), 435–448.
• Picardi G., Borrelli C., Sarti A., Chimienti G. & Calisti M. (2020). A minimal metric for the characterization of acoustic noise emitted by underwater vehicles. Sensors, 20(22), 6644.
• Picardi G., Chellapurath M., Iacoponi S., Stefanni S., Laschi C. & Calisti M. (2020). Bioinspired underwater legged robot for seabed exploration with low environmental disturbance. Science Robotics, 5(42), eaaz1012.
• Picardi G., Laschi C. & Calisti M. (2018). Model-based open loop control of a multigait legged underwater robot. Mechatronics, 55, 162–170.
• Calisti M., Picardi G. & Laschi C. (2017). Fundamentals of soft robot locomotion. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 14(130), 20170101.

Conference publications

• Boiciuc C., Picardi G., del Rio J., Carandell M. & Toma D. (2026). Rolling locomotion for shallow-water benthic exploration using a compact spherical underwater robot. IEEE OCEANS 2026, Sanya.
• Masmitja I., Martin M., Bardaji R., … & Robinson N. (2026). TECTUGA: using innovative animal-borne cameras and autonomous vehicles for ecological assessments of sea turtles and their habitats. IEEE OCEANS 2026, Monterey.
• Aguirregomezcorta J., Aguzzi J. & Picardi G. (2025). Simulating underwater legged robotics with a ROS 2-based approach. OCEANTECH workshop, IEEE/RSJ IROS 2025.
• Aguirregomezcorta J., Aguzzi J. & Picardi G. (2025). Simulación de robots submarinos con patas: un enfoque basado en ROS 2. ROSCon España 2025.
• Picardi G., Chatzievangelou D., Clavel-Henry M., Francescangeli M., Masmitja I., Quevedo J., … & Aguzzi J. (2025). From mobile and fixed monitoring platforms to the Digital Twin of the Ocean: synergies and impacts of DIGI4ECO, SUN-BIO and MERLIN. MarTech 2025.
• Papaelias M., Gee M., Bratchetta V., … & Chronakis A. (2025). Design and demonstration of a novel wave energy converter for promoting marine habitat restoration. 15th TSME ICoME.
• Picardi G., Astolfi A. & Calisti M. (2024). Seabed intervention with an underwater legged robot. IEEE ICRA 2024, 6247–6253.
• Picardi G., Carandell M., Nogueras M., Toma D., del Río J. & Aguzzi J. (2024). An open-source control architecture for teleoperated underwater legged robots. MarTech 2024.
• Picardi G., del Rio J. & Aguzzi J. (2024). Bioinspired legged underwater robots for ecological monitoring and exploration. UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference 2024.
• Gee M., Aguzzi J., Picardi G., Masmitja I., … & Papaelias M. (2024). Technical challenges in achieving widespread implementation of wave energy converter systems and future directions. 77th IIW Annual Assembly.
• Papaelias M., Hayati F., Roshanmanesh S., … & Grigoropoulos G. (2024). SUNBIO: towards widespread implementation of wave energy converters. IEEE.
• Chatzievangelou D., Aguzzi J., Bahamon N., … (2024). Marine biodiversity monitoring in the age of intelligent robots: needs, challenges and insights.
• Francescangeli M., Chatzievangelou D., … & Aguzzi J. (2024). The OBSEA demo-site within the DIGI4ECO project.
• Pagliarani N., Picardi G., Pathan R., Uccello A., Grogan H. & Cianchetti M. (2023). Towards a bioinspired soft robotic gripper for gentle manipulation of mushrooms. IEEE MetroAgriFor 2023, 170–175.
• Pagliarani N., Picardi G., Zaidi S. S. Z. & Cianchetti M. (2023). Variable kinematics enabled by layer jamming transition in a soft bending actuator. IEEE RoboSoft 2023.
• Picardi G., Lovecchio R. & Calisti M. (2021). Towards autonomous area inspection with a bio-inspired underwater legged robot. IEEE/RSJ IROS 2021, 930–935.
• Donato E., Picardi G. & Calisti M. (2021). Statics optimization of a hexapedal robot modelled as a Stewart platform. TAROS 2021, 370–380.
• Mirimin L. et al. (2021). Using cabled observatories as in situ platforms for advancing novel non-invasive marine biodiversity monitoring approaches. ASLO 2021.
• Calisti M., Picardi G. & Laschi C. (2019). Bioinspired robots for seabed exploration. IRIM 3D Event 2019.
• Picardi G., Chellapurath M., Iacoponi S., Laschi C. & Calisti M. (2019). Surveying and cleaning plastic pollution in the sediment: SILVER+ approach. OCEANS 2019 Marseille.
• Iacoponi S., Picardi G., Chellapurath M., Calisti M. & Laschi C. (2018). Underwater soft jet propulsion based on a Hoberman mechanism. IEEE RoboSoft 2018, 449–454.
• Picardi G., Geluardi S., Olivari M., Pollini L., Innocenti M. & Bülthoff H. H. (2016). L1-based model following control of an identified helicopter model in hover. 72nd AHS International Annual Forum.

Participation in R&D projects

• BEN-FLOW — Breaking the underwater intervention paradigm. "la Caixa" Foundation, 2026–2029. PI.
• AI4SEA — Artificial Intelligence for Sea Ecological Advanced monitoring and restoration. MICIU (IA2025-163346-C44), 2025–2028. WP5 leader.
• TECTUGA — Animal-borne cameras and autonomous vehicles for ecological assessments of sea turtles. MICIU (PID2024-161772OA-I00), 2025–2028. Researcher.
• MERLIN — Long-endurance intelligent multi-purpose autonomous vehicles. Horizon Europe (101189796), 2024–2028. Task leader.
• SUNBIO — Offshore energy with parallel biodiversity protection and monitoring. Horizon Europe (101157493), 2024–2028. Task leader.
• DIGI4ECO — Digital twin-sustained 4D ecological monitoring of restoration. Horizon Europe (101112883), 2024–2028. Task leader.
• REDRESS — Restoration of deep-sea habitats to rebuild European seas. Horizon Europe (101135492), 2024–2028. Researcher.
• BluE — Bioinspired Legged Underwater Robotics for Ecological Monitoring and Exploration. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship (101061354), 2023–2025. Grantee.
• PLOME — Long-duration platform for marine ecosystem observation. MICINN (PLEC2021-007525), 2023–2024. Researcher.
• BITER-LANDER — Biology and technology to monitor and recover fishery-impacted ecosystems. MICINN (PID2020-114732RB-C32), 2023. Researcher.
• SoftGrip — Soft robotic mushroom harvesting. EU H2020 (101017054), 2021–2022. Technical manager.
• Hybrid Heart — EU H2020 (767195), 2021. Researcher.
• GOLD — Guardian of the Ocean Legged Drone. National Geographic Society, 2019–2021. Researcher and project manager.
• EELS — Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor. NASA JPL, 2019. Researcher.
• SILVER — Seabed Interaction Legged Vehicle for Exploration and Research. National Geographic Society, 2017. Researcher.

Contracts

• Underwater Drone for Arctic Ecosystem Restoration. Real Ice Development Company Ltd, 2025–2027.
• RoSC — Robotics for the Automatic Sorting of Crustaceans. SBRI–UKRI, 2022.
• Blue Resolution. Dario ARBI S.p.A., 2018–2021.

Supervision

PhD

• Aihnoa Idiondo Molina — Robotics and AI for restoration and monitoring of benthic ecosystems. Marine Science and Technology, UPC. Co-supervised with N. Bahamon. 2026–
• Aina Aguirregomezcorta — MARL-based benthic navigation for bioinspired underwater legged robotics. Automation, Robotics and Vision, UPC. Co-supervised with D. M. Toma. 2025–

MSc

• Penna — Waterproof leg manipulator for underwater robotics. Mines Nancy, 2025
• Li — Locomotion analysis and bio-inspired gait generation for a hexapod robot. Univ. of Trento, 2025
• Greco — Soft robotic arm for exploring deep-sea burrows. Univ. of Pisa, 2025
• Loizzo — RL environment to monitor ocean features with autonomous vehicles. Politecnico di Torino, 2025
• Fonseca — Modular single-legged underwater robot. Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 2021

BSc

• Bertran — Camera system for ULR SILVER2. UPC, 2025
• Rigual — ROS 2 Gazebo model of a robotic arm for Nephrops in situ observation. UPC, 2025
• Soler — Mechanical design of a rolling robot with an eccentric rotating mass. UPC, 2025
• Boiciuc — Underwater rolling robot for benthic ecosystem exploration. Saxion Univ. of Applied Sciences, 2025
• Cantero — ROS-based simulator and control architecture for a benthic crawler. UPC, 2023

Organisation of scientific activities

• AMBRE @ IROS 2026 — Adaptive Manipulation: Bridging Rigid and Soft Robotics in Underwater Environments. Pittsburgh, USA
• SUNBIO Workshop on wave energy harvesting and marine habitat restoration with marine robotic systems. Barcelona, 2025
• OCEANTECH @ IROS 2025 — Marine Robotics & Marine Science Workshop. Hangzhou, China
• DIGI4ECO and MERLIN Summer School on Marine Restoration and Digital Twins. Kristineberg, Sweden, 2024

Editorial and reviewing activities

• Associate Editor, IEEE ICRA 2024
• Research Topic editor, Frontiers in Robotics and AI (2024); MDPI (2023)
• Reviewer for IJRR, Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, IEEE RA-L, IEEE RAM, Soft Robotics, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, and IEEE ICRA, IROS, BioRob, RoboSoft

Invited talks

• University of Birmingham (SUNBIO and MERLIN meetings), 2025
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2025
• University of Lincoln, 2024
• University of Gothenburg, 2023
• National Oceanography Centre, UK, 2022
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2019

Teaching

• Seminars on legged robots underwater, ESEAS school, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 2023–2024
• Underwater robotic mobile platforms, Summer School on Marine Restoration and Digital Twins, University of Gothenburg, 2024
• Notes on underwater technologies, MSc in Fisheries and Wildlife Management, University of Zagreb, 2023
• Design and control of bioinspired legged underwater robots, MSc in Bionics Engineering, SSSA and University of Pisa, 2018–2019

Media

• Climate Robotics Summit, 2025
• Green Flags podcast, 2023
• Hydro International, 2022
• RAI Superquark, 2020
• TechXplore, 2020
• RAI Linea Verde, 2018

Professional memberships

• European Robotics Forum topic groups on Marine Robotics and on Bio-inspired Robotics
• ARIS — Association of Italian Researchers in Spain