Prof. Dr. Patricia Capsi Morales
Department Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence
Human-Centered Robotics
About
Prof. Dr. Patricia Capsi-Morales is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Human-Centered Robotics at the University of Technology Nuremberg since 10/2026. Prior to joining UTN, she was a Senior Research Scientist at the Technical University of Munich. She studied Mechatronics Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and received her M.Sc. degree in 10/2017. She obtained her PhD in Information Engineering from the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of Pisa in 2022. During her doctoral studies, she conducted research stays at Imperial College London and at Arizona State University. She served as Associate TC Co-Chair for the RAS TC on Neuro-Robotics Systems.
Her research focuses on human-centered robotics at the intersection of robotics, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. She investigates how biological principles of human movement, motor control, and sensorimotor integration can be translated into intelligent robotic systems that interact naturally and adapt to their users. Her work particularly addresses upper-limb bionics and neurotechnologies, with a focus on neural interfacing, motor-unit decoding, soft and underactuated robotics, and embodiment. Her broader goal is to develop robotic technologies that complement human capabilities.
Curriculum Vitae
| Since 10/2026 | Tenure-track Assistant Professor for Human-Centered Robotics at the University of Technology Nuremberg |
| 07/2022 – 12/2025 | Postdoctoral Researcher at Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology (Prof. Cristina Piazza) |
| 04/2021 – 10/2021 | Visiting Research Fellow at Imperial College London (ICL, United Kingdom), under the supervision of Prof. Dario Farina |
| 07/2022 | PhD in Information Engineering at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and University of Pisa (UNIPI, Italy), under the supervision of Prof. Antonio Bicchi. |
| 10/2017 | M.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC, Spain) |
Awards
2025
Best Paper Award at the IEEE International Conference on Cyborgs and Bionic Systems (CBS2025) in Beijing, China, with the paper ”Design of a Soft Robotic Finger Inspired by the Fin Ray Effect with Anthropomorphic Features”, Capsi-Morales et al.
2022
IEEE Italy section 2022 Best PhD Thesis Award, New Challenges for Energy and Industry – Technology category
2020
Silver medal at Cybathlon 2020 Global Edition, participation in the Powered Arm Prosthesis Race as SoftHand Pro Team.
Selected Journal Publications
Capsi-Morales, P., Barsakcioglu, D. Y., Catalano, M. G., Grioli, G., Bicchi, A., & Farina, D. (2025). Merging motoneuron and postural synergies in prosthetic hand design for natural bionic interfacing. Science Robotics, 10(98), eado9509.
Capsi-Morales, P., Piazza, C., Catalano, M. G., Grioli, G., Schiavon, L., Fiaschi, E., & Bicchi, A. (2021). Comparison between rigid and soft poly-articulated prosthetic hands in non-expert myo-electric users shows advantages of soft robotics. Scientific reports, 11(1), 23952.
Jaeger, L., Baptista, R. D. S., Basla, C., Capsi-Morales, P., Kim, Y. K., Nakajima, S., … & Sigrist, R. (2023). How the CYBATHLON competition has advanced assistive technologies. Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems, 6(1), 447-476.
Capsi-Morales, P., Schröder, A., Happold, J., Zavaglia, M., Altawalbeh, G., Negwer, C., … & Piazza, C. (2025). Exploring the Role of Parietal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Embodiment-Related Processes During Virtual Prosthesis Control. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 34, 313-322.
Happold, J., Ferrante, L., Capsi-Morales, P., Barsakcioglu, D. Y., Farina, D., & Piazza, C. (2026). Muscle and Motoneuron Synergies in Biomimetic and Non-Biomimetic 3-DoF Tasks. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 34, 1720-1733.
Capsi-Morales, P., Piazza, C., Sjoberg, L., Catalano, M. G., Grioli, G., Bicchi, A., & Hermansson, L. M. (2023). Functional assessment of current upper limb prostheses: An integrated clinical and technological perspective. Plos one, 18(8), e0289978.
Castañeda, T. S., Connan, M., Capsi-Morales, P., Beckerle, P., Castellini, C., & Piazza, C. (2024). Experimental evaluation of the impact of sEMG interfaces in enhancing embodiment of virtual myoelectric prostheses. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 21(1), 57.
Capsi-Morales, P., Piazza, C., Catalano, M. G., Bicchi, A., & Grioli, G. (2020). Exploring stiffness modulation in prosthetic hands and its perceived function in manipulation and social interaction. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 14, 33.
Capsi-Morales, P., Grioli, G., Piazza, C., Bicchi, A., & Catalano, M. G. (2020). Exploring the role of palm concavity and adaptability in soft synergistic robotic hands. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 5(3), 4703-4710.
Capsi-Morales, P., Piazza, C., Grioli, G., Bicchi, A., & Catalano, M. G. (2023). The SoftHand Pro platform: a flexible prosthesis with a user-centered approach. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 20(1), 20.
Capsi-Morales, P., Piazza, C., Grioli, G., Bicchi, A., & Catalano, M. G. (2024). A three degrees of freedom switchable impedance myoelectric prosthetic wrist. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 43(11), 1649-1675.