Francesco Vigni, PhD

Robotics & AI Engineer

I design and deploy intelligent systems that bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world impact.

From medical imaging pipelines to autonomous robot perception, I help teams ship production-ready AI—fast.

No strings attached—just a quick conversation to see if we're a fit.

About

I'm a computer engineer who thrives at the intersection of robotics, AI, and human-centered design. My Ph.D. research in Human-Robot Interaction taught me how to build systems that don't just work—theyconnect with people. Today, I bring that same rigor to every project: from high-throughput medical imaging pipelines to autonomous navigation stacks, I deliver solutions that are reproducible, scalable, and ready for the real world. Whether you're a startup validating an idea or an engineering team scaling a product, I help you move faster without cutting corners.

Featured Projects

MLFeb 2026

AI Advisor for Medical Imaging

Foundation-model pipeline for gastroenterology imaging with cloud-scale experimentation

AI Advisor for Medical Imaging preview

Challenges & Impact

  • Processing high-volume clinical datasets at scale
  • Building reproducible training pipelines under strict privacy constraints
  • Optimizing for cost-efficiency without sacrificing performance
  • Delivering production-ready foundation models within NDA and data governance boundaries
Read case study →

Core Capabilities

Robotics & Autonomy

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Machine Learning & Vision

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Infrastructure & MLOps

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Experience

Sep 2025 – Present
Robotics & AI Systems Consultant · Freelance · Forlì, Italy
Oct 2023 – Feb 2024
Visiting Researcher · TU Wien – Autonomous Systems Lab · Vienna, Austria
Jul 2023 – Aug 2023
Visiting Researcher · Noosware NV · Eindhoven, Netherlands
Jul 2021 – Dec 2021
Robotics Engineer · Roboception GmbH · Munich, Germany
Apr 2020 – Jun 2021
Autonomous Systems Developer · STtech GmbH · Munich, Germany
Apr 2019 – Mar 2020
Research Assistant · Technical University of Munich (MIRMI) · Munich, Germany
Jan 2018 – Mar 2018
Technical Consultant · Daimler AG dealers · Mid-North, Italy
Ago 2018 – Dec 2023
Managing Partner · Edilrevi SRL · Forlì, Italy
Ago 2018 – Sep 2018
Internship · Disney Research Zurich · Zurich, Switzerland

Education

2021 – 2025
Ph.D. in ICT for Health - HRI - MSCA Fellow · University of Naples Federico II · Naples, Italy
2015 – 2018
M.Sc. Robotics & Automation · University of Siena · Siena, Italy
2011 – 2015
B.Sc. Management Engineering · University of Siena · Siena, Italy

Milestones

2026
Mar

Joined the Commettee of information and electronics engineering, Ordine degli Ingegneri della provincia di Forlì-Cesena.

Mar

Attended MECSPE 2026, the international trade fair for the manufacturing industry, held in Bologna, Italy.

Feb

Kicked off a new consultancy project applying computer vision and AI to medical imaging.

2025
Dec

Won 1st prize at the 2nd Startup Creation Lab — Università di Bologna, hosted at Laboratorio Aperto Forlì.

Sep

Launched updated portfolio showcasing recent projects, ML demos, and interests.

Mar

Joined the Ordine degli Ingegneri (Forlì-Cesena) — Sector A, Information Engineering.

Feb

Defended Ph.D. thesis "The Unscripted Encounter: Social Cues for Spontaneous Human-Robot Interactions" — Doctor Europæus label, University of Naples Federico II.