BIOGRAPHY

Antonio Bicchi is Professor of Robotics and Control Systems at the University of Pisa and Senior Scientist at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa. His research spans robot hands and grasping, soft robotics, and distributed robotic systems. He has authored over 500 publications in international journals, books, and conferences. Prof. Bicchi founded the IEEE WorldHaptics Conference in 2005, which has since become the premier venue in the field. He was the founding Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (2015–2019), which quickly rose to prominence as the top robotics journal by submissions. In 2019, he became the founding President of the Italian Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM). Since January 2023, he has served as Editor-in-Chief of The International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR), the first scientific journal in robotics. His contributions have been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2025 RAS Pioneer Award and the 2018 RAS Saridis Leadership Award.

IEEE ACTIVITIES

COMMITTEES/BOARDS

• 2022–2025 ICRA Steering Committee Member
• 2013–2025 Advisory Board, IEEE Transactions on Haptics
• 2016–2019 Advisory Committee Member, IEEE RAS
• 2014–2015 Vice President for Publication Activities, IEEE RAS
• 2012–2019 Chair, Society Awards Evaluation Committee, IEEE RAS
• 2009–2010 Co-Chair, IEEE Fellow Evaluation Committee
• 2006–2007 Vice President for Membership, IEEE RAS
• 2005 Founding Chair, WorldHaptics Steering Committee

SOCIETY

• Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)

CONFERENCES

• 2026 – Program Chair, ICRA 2026, Stockholm
• 2005 – Founder and Co-Chair, IEEE WorldHaptics (WHC’05), Pisa

OTHER

• 2023–Present – Editor-in-Chief, The International Journal of Robotics Research
• 2016–2019 – Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
• 2012–2015 – Editor, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering
• 2008–2011 – Editor-in-Chief, IEEE RAS Conference Editorial Board

QUALIFICATIONS

I have served the community in various leadership roles, including terms on the AdCom. I have also contributed to the editorial boards of nearly all major journals within IEEE RAS and other respected venues, and I have led the Conference Editorial Board for ICRA. My involvement in launching IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters provided critical insights into publication and conference processes. Additionally, my previous role as VP of the Member Activities Board gave me a comprehensive understanding of Society operations, which I believe will help me be effective and impactful if elected again.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Founding Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
• Program Chair, ICRA 2026
• Editor-in-Chief, RAS Conference Editorial Board
• Editorial/Advisory roles in IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, IEEE Transactions on Robotics & Automation, and IEEE RAS Magazine
• Founding Chair of the WorldHaptics Conference
• Advisor for the launch of IEEE Transactions on Haptics

POSITION STATEMENT

If elected to AdCom, I intend to strengthen IEEE RAS publications as the gold standard for scientific dissemination in our field. I aim to expand the innovative model introduced by RAS Letters, leveraging conference presentations as a foundation for high-quality archival publications. I also hope to counter the trend of submitting unvetted work to conferences— or of presenting work that has already been published, and has therefore lost its immediacy and impact.

After a pause from elected service—during which I focused on national and European robotics initiatives—I return with renewed energy. The values that built our community are now being tested by new dynamics: rapid membership growth, increased diversity, and complex geopolitical pressures. I believe it is my responsibility to contribute again, to help guide our Society through this evolving landscape.