Assistant Professor
Institute of Mechanical Intelligence
Giancarlo Santamato
Bio
Giancarlo Santamato (Bari, Italy, 1989) is a Mechanical Engineer (licensed, 2015) and Assistant Professor of Applied Mechanics at the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
He is currently the Principal Investigator of the following research projects:
- MIT/CRYSTAR: Crystal Sensors for High Temperature and Radiation Hard Environments, funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.
- SIMMER: Sensorized Silent Composite Metamaterials for Underwater Application, funded by Polo Nazionale della Dimensione Subacquea (PNS).
- Movyon: Distributed Acoustic Sensors for Monitoring the Vehichular Traffic, funded by Movyon S.p.A. (Autostrade per l’Italia).
He graduated with honors from the Polytechnic University of Bari (2014) and received his Ph.D. with honors from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (2020). His research lies at the intersection of applied structural mechanics, intelligent mechanical systems, and advanced optical fiber sensing technologies, with applications in naval, nuclear, and infrastructure engineering. His work integrates modeling, experimental dynamics, and signal processing for high-impact engineering systems.
His activity is oriented toward the development of technological platforms and integrated monitoring solutions with strong industrial relevance. He has established an independent research line on structural health monitoring, including robotic inspection systems, vibration-based diagnostics, and smart sensing architectures, as well as applications in harsh environments such as high-temperature and radiation-rich systems for advanced propulsion.
He has authored publications in leading international journals, holds international patents, and serves as reviewer for top-tier journals. His work has received international recognition through competitive awards and funded research programs, reflecting a strong profile in high-impact and innovation-driven research.
He contributes to teaching in dynamics, mechanical design, finite elements, and nonlinear elasticity. He is actively involved in Master’s thesis supervision, graduation committees, and student mentoring activities, also in collaboration with the University of Pisa. He has supervised 3 Master’s theses in Aerospace Engineering and currently mentors 2 additional theses.
Research
- Intelligent mechanical systems and structural monitoring: development of integrated sensing architectures for structural health monitoring, combining modeling, experimental validation, and data-driven signal processing.
- Optical fiber sensing technologies: design and deployment of fiber-optic sensing systems (e.g., FBG-based) for distributed and quasi-distributed measurements in complex engineering structures.
- Dynamics and vibration-based diagnostics: identification and analysis of dynamic behavior in mechanical systems for condition monitoring, damage detection, and performance assessment.
- Systems operating in harsh environments: sensing and monitoring solutions for high-temperature, high-radiation, and extreme operational conditions, with applications in advanced propulsion and energy systems.
- Infrastructure and industrial applications: development of monitoring solutions for transportation systems, critical infrastructures, and large-scale industrial assets, with emphasis on reliability and scalability.
- Robotic inspection and integrated platforms: design of robotic systems and autonomous platforms for inspection, data acquisition, and in-situ diagnostics.
Publications
Patents
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Preload and Retraction Device of a Wheel Assembly and Self-Propelled Cart for the Inspection of the Underbody of Railway Vehicles
International patent family (WO2023139565A1), published as EP4469330A1, US2025100593A1, IT20220001133A1 and CN116940495A.
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Self-Propelled Cart for the Inspection of the Underbody of Railway Vehicles
International patent family (WO2023139568A1), published as EP4469331A1, IT20220001136A1 and CN116848032A.
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Semiautomatic Apparatus for Condition-Based Maintenance of Railway Infrastructure
International patent family (WO2020105018A1), granted as US11898937B2 and published as EP3884257A1, IT201800010541A1 and CN113260845A.
Courses
- Dynamics of Mechanical Systems (Ph.D.)
- Fundamentals of Nonlinear Elasticity (Master)
- Mechanical Design and FEM Simulations (Master and Undergraduate)