Dr Olga Napolitano
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- School of Engineering
- Roehampton Vale
Lecturer in Control Engineering
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am a researcher in robotics and a lecturer in control, with a strong focus on active sensing control strategies for mobile robots. My research emphasizes model-based approaches to enhance a robot’s autonomous decision-making in uncertain and dynamic environments.
My background includes work on advanced control systems, predictive motion planning, and state estimation. I have solid technical expertise in MATLAB/Simulink, Python, ROS, and optimization tools such as CasADi. Over the years, I’ve contributed to international research collaborations, participated in European-funded projects, and published in leading robotics and control journals.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Robotics, University of Pisa, Italy
- Visiting Researcher at LAAS-CNRS (France) and University College London (UK)
- M.Sc. in Robotics and Automation Engineering, University of Pisa
- B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering, University of Sannio
Domains
My research is primarily focused on motion planning and control for mobile robots operating under uncertainty, with special emphasis on active sensing strategies.
My research on active sensing control strategies focuses on integrating information-driven decision-making into robotic control loops. By leveraging information-theoretic metrics (e.g., state constructability and reachability measures), I design controllers that balance task objectives with the need to gather informative data, particularly in uncertain or partially observable environments.
Within the EU-funded DARKO project, I implemented an active sensing layer for risk-aware motion planning in industrial scenarios.
I also explore hybrid strategies that combine model-based control with learning-based prediction to enhance perception in dynamic, real-world settings.
Specialisms
- Active Sensing and Control for Robotic Systems
- Nonlinear and Model Predictive Control
Scholarly affiliations
- University of Pisa, Research Center "E. Piaggio"