Eleonora Fontana is a PhD Candidate at the University of Pisa and Affiliated Researcher in the Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation group at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).
She received her Bachelor's Degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering from the University of Ferrara in 2018, with a thesis focused on technologies for active upper-limb prostheses. In 2021, she completed her Master's Degree in Computer and Automation Engineering, conducting research on the development of a three-axis control system for the Agile-Eye mechanical platform.
Following her studies, she worked as a Software Developer for industrial packaging machinery in a private company based in Bologna. Seeking to pursue research activities in robotics, she later joined the Industrial Robotics Facility at IIT, where she contributed to research and innovation projects at the intersection of robotics and industrial applications, including the European SoftManBot project focused on dexterous robotic manipulation for soft material handling.
Motivated by a growing interest in human-centered technologies and research, she started her PhD in 2023 within the Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation group at IIT. Her research focuses on haptics, rehabilitation technologies, and human-device interaction. She specializes in the human-in-the-loop evaluation of haptic and interactive systems, with experience in psychophysics, clinical validation, and user studies involving both able-bodied participants and prosthesis users. Her work aims to develop proprioceptive haptic interfaces to enhance rehabilitation and sensory feedback applications.
