Ciao, I'm Riccardo

Ciao! 👋
I'm Dr Riccardo Polvara, a Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor equivalent) in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (LCAS), University of Lincoln, UK.

My research focuses on enabling robust autonomy in mobile robots, particularly in unstructured and dynamic environments. I develop algorithms that help robots sense, interpret, and act under uncertainty—using techniques in AI, probabilistic reasoning, and multi-modal sensor integration. I’m especially interested in aerial-ground robot collaboration and precision agriculture.

I currently lead two major funded projects:

• GAIA (EPSRC) – A collaborative project with TU Delft, ETH Zurich, and the University of Bonn, focused on fusing aerial and ground mapping for autonomous agriculture.
• VISTA (InnovateUK) – Developing digital twin technologies for vineyards, integrating data from robots and handheld devices to improve agricultural decision-making and reduce environmental impact.

Prior to this, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at L-CAS and an associate member of the Autonomous Learning Robots Lab at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany). I contributed to the H2020 BACCHUS project, designing robotic platforms for precision inspection and harvesting. I also worked on the EPSRC-funded NCNR project, where I developed learning-based control strategies for autonomous mobile manipulators.

I earned my PhD from the University of Plymouth as part of the Autonomous Marine Systems group. My thesis focused on deep reinforcement learning for vision-based drone landing on unmanned surface vehicles. I hold a BSc and MSc in Computer Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.

What excites me most is tackling multidisciplinary challenges at the intersection of robotics, AI, and engineering. I love building systems that combine perception, planning, and control into cohesive solutions that work in the real world.

I’m also passionate about student engagement through research and competition. In 2023, I co-founded LCASTOR, a student-led team that competes in the RoboCup @Home league. We placed 9th globally in 2024! This initiative helps students apply what they learn and connect with the international robotics community.

If you're interested in collaboration, supervision, or discussion, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always happy to hear from like-minded researchers, students, and industry partners.