Courses

Underactuated Robots (2022/2023)

Sapienza University of Rome – Prof. Leonardo Lanari

I taught a module (10h) covering:

  1. Floating-base formulation of rigid body dynamics
  2. Centroidal dynamics and simplified models of locomotion
  3. Introduction to optimal control, direct and indirect methods
  4. Global methods: Dynamic Programming, the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR)
  5. Local trajectory optimization: Differential Dynamic Programming (DDP/iLQR), Single/Multiple Shooting, Direct Collocation

Material

Simulation examples and useful code: underactuated-examples

  1. Wieber: Holonomy and Nonholonomy in the Dynamics of Articulated Motion, 2005 (pdf)
  2. Orin, Goswami, Lee: Centroidal dynamics of a humanoid robot, Auton Robot, 2013 (pdf)
    Wensing, Posa, Hu, Escande, Mandard, Del Prete: Optimization-Based Control for Dynamic Legged Robots, 2022 (pdf)
  3. Slides
  4. Tedrake: Underactuated Robotics, course notes (ch 7: dynamic programming)
    Liberzon: Calculus of Variations and Optimal Control Theory, Princeton University Press, 2012 (ch 6: LQR)
  5. Lectures from Prof. Moritz Diehl, Numerical Optimal Control
    Tassa, Erez, Todorov: Synthesis and Stabilization of Complex Behaviors through Online Trajectory Optimization, IROS, 2012
    Gros, Zanon, Quirynen, Bemporad, Diehl: From linear to nonlinear MPC: bridging the gap via the real-time iteration, Int. Journal of Control, 2016

Applicazioni dell’Automatica - Introduzione alla Robotica Mobile (2020/2021)

Sapienza University of Rome – Prof. Giuseppe Oriolo

Slides on Automated Lane Keeping and introduction to Model Predictive Control available on the course website.


Student supervision

Here is a list of student that I co-advised

PhD

  • Simone Rotondi, Inria Rennes, Nov. 2025 – now, with Paolo Robuffo Giordano and Alexandre Krupa
  • Alexandros Farmakis, Inria Rennes, Nov. 2025 – now, with Marco Tognon and Marcello Traiola
  • Lluis Prior-Sancho, Inria Rennes, Nov. 2024 – now, with Marco Tognon
  • Francesco D’Orazio, Sapienza University of Rome, Nov. 2022 – Jan. 2024, with Giuseppe Oriolo

Master

  • Stefano Riccardi, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (hosted at Inria Rennes), ongoing, with Paolo Robuffo Giordano
  • Marco Maffeo, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (hosted at Inria Rennes), ongoing, with Paolo Robuffo Giordano
  • Luigi Graziosi, Politecnico di Torino (hosted at Inria Rennes) “Control Algorithms and Hardware Accelerations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”, 2025, with Marco Tognon and Marcello Traiola
  • Erwan Tanguy-Legac, Inria Rennes, M1 Internship, “Domain-specific Hardware Acceleration for Model Predictive Path Integral Control”, 2025, with Marco Tognon and Marcello Traiola
  • Ochidinma Ezeji, University College London, “Stylized Trajectory Planning with MPPI”, 2025, with Valerio Modugno and Giulio Turrisi
  • Giovanbattista Gravina, Sapienza University of Rome, “Safe robot navigation in a crowd: Application to the TIAGo mobile manipulator”, 2024, with Giuseppe Oriolo and Michele Cipriano
  • Matteo Facci, Sapienza University of Rome, “Enhancing Tractor-Trailer System Stability through Nonlinear Anti-Jackknifing Model Predictive Control”, 2023, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Shima Akbari, Sapienza University of Rome, “Lane Following Control for Mobile Robots: Simulations and Experiments in the Duckietown Environment”, 2022, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Francesco D’Orazio, Sapienza University of Rome, “Rollover Prevention of a Wheel Mobile Manipulator using Control Barrier Functions”, 2022, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Rossella Bonuomo, Sapienza University of Rome, “Planning and Control of Tractor-Trailer Vehicles in Backward Motion with Intrinsically Stable MPC”, 2022, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Christian D’Amico, Sapienza University of Rome, “Mobile Robot Control via MPC with Control Barrier Functions: Validation in the simulated Duckietown Environment”, 2021, with Giuseppe Oriolo

Bachelor

  • Michela Andreotti, Sapienza University of Rome, “Formation control for mobile robots”, 2022, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Immacolata Alessia Di Domenico, Sapienza University of Rome, “Crowd navigation for a car-like robot”, 2022, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Matteo Leonforte, Sapienza University of Rome, “Control of a self-balancing robot”, 2022, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Valerio De Luca, Sapienza University of Rome, “Navigation via AprilTags in the Duckietown environment”, 2021, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Maria Giulia Conti, Sapienza University of Rome, “Pursuit-Evasion for mobile robots”, 2021, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Gianluca Leotta, Sapienza University of Rome, “Control and navigation of a mobile robot in the Duckietown environment”, 2021, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Andrea D’Agostino, Sapienza University of Rome, “Bug-like algorithms for mobile robot navigation”, 2021, with Giuseppe Oriolo
  • Davide Ceriola, Sapienza University of Rome, “Implementation of a controller for Pursuit-Evasion between mobile robots with visual tracking”, 2021, with Giuseppe Oriolo

Contact

If you have questions related to courses, supervision opportunities, or collaboration please send me an email.