Our Mission
To advance the fundamental understanding and technological capabilities of robotics through rigorous research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative development. We strive to educate the next generation of robotics leaders and create systems that solve complex, real-world challenges, ultimately driving positive transformation in industry, healthcare, and society.
Our History
The UBA Robotics Laboratory has its roots in a small, yet ambitious, research group established in 1985 within the Faculty of Engineering. Driven by the pioneering vision of Dr. Pablo De Cristóforis, a computer scientist with an early passion for electro-mechanical systems, the group’s initial focus was on applying nascent control theory to automated manufacturing processes, a critical need during Argentina’s industrial growth.
A pivotal moment arrived in the early 2000s. Facing the constraints of outdated equipment, Dr. De Cristóforis and his growing team secured a major international grant. This allowed them to transition from theoretical modeling to building their own hardware. This period saw the creation of “El Gaucho,” an early prototype of a compliant manipulator arm designed for agriculture—a landmark achievement that demonstrated the potential of local engineering ingenuity.
Officially founded as a dedicated laboratory in 2007, we moved into our current facility, expanding our scope to include Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and medical robotics, reflecting Buenos Aires’ strengths in healthcare and design. Today, we honor the innovative spirit of our founders by continuing to push the boundaries of robotics, cementing our place as a leading center for advanced technological research in Latin America.
Our Focus
- Intelligent Autonomy: Developing advanced algorithms for perception, decision-making, and control that enable robots to operate independently and reliably in dynamic, unstructured environments.
- Human-Robot Interaction (HRI): Investigating intuitive and safe ways for humans to collaborate with robots, focusing on shared autonomy, teleoperation, and seamless integration into human workflows.
- Novel Robotics Hardware: Designing and prototyping new robotic platforms, mechanisms, and materials, including soft robotics, wearable devices, and bio-inspired systems, to expand the physical capabilities of automation.
- Application-Driven Systems: Applying core research to high-impact domains such as advanced manufacturing, precision agriculture, healthcare (e.g., surgical and rehabilitation robotics), and environmental monitoring.
