PROFESSOR · RESEARCHER · INNOVATOR

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Samer AlFayad

Full Professor at Evry, Paris-Saclay University

Mechatronic systems, humanoid robotics and assistive technologies developed through research, teaching and industrial collaboration.

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Portrait of Prof. Samer AlFayad, Professor of Mechatronics at Université Paris-Saclay

“Intelligent
Mechatronics in the
service of humanity”

UNIVERSITÉ D’ÉVRY · PARIS-SACLAYIBISC LABORATORY

CURRENT ROLES

Research.
Leadership.
Education.

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

Expert in Mechatronic Design and Robotics

INSTITUTE LEADERSHIP

Co-founder and co-director of the H-CoDe II Institute at Université Paris-Saclay

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Supervisor of the Master's program M2 Mechatronics, Machine Vision, and Artificial Intelligence at Evry, Paris-Saclay University

INDUSTRY TRANSLATION

Cofounder of Kalysta Company

INDUSTRIAL CHAIR

Holder of an Industrial Excellence Chair in mechatronics at Evry, Paris-Saclay University

LABORATORY LEADERSHIP

Deputy Director of IBISC Laboratory at Evry, Paris-Saclay University

ABOUT ME

Designing robotics
around people.

My research aims to develop robust, powerful and safe robotic systems that improve mobility and independence.

Present role

I am a Full Professor of Mechatronic Systems at Université d'Évry – Paris-Saclay (UEPS), Université Paris-Saclay, and a member of the Informatique, BioInformatique et Systèmes Complexes - IBISC Laboratory, where I have served as Deputy Director since 2026. I also hold an Industrial Excellence Chair in exoskeletons and mechatronic design in partnership with SANDYC Industries. I am a co-founder and co-director of the Human-in-the-Loop Control and Decision Institute (H-CoDe II) at Université Paris-Saclay.

Academic background

From 2011 to 2019, I was an Associate Professor in Humanoid Robotics at Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, UVSQ, where I held an Industrial Excellence Chair in hydraulic domestication in partnership with BIA.
I obtained my HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches) in Mechatronics from UVSQ in 2017.
Before that, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. I received my Ph.D. in Robotics from UVSQ in 2009, for which I received the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award in Robotics from the French CNRS and the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award in Mechatronics for the 20th Anniversary of UVSQ.

Research leadership

My research covers mechatronic design, humanoid robotics, assistive devices, exoskeletons, and electro-hydraulic actuation. I have served as Principal Investigator or scientific leader on several French national and industrial research projects.
I co-coordinate the Institute for Control and Decision (iCode Paris-Saclay) and the H-CoDe Paris-Saclay. To date, my work includes 53 international patent publications, more than €5.5 million in research funding, over 16 projects managed, and 19 Ph.D. theses supervised.

From laboratory to industry

I also co-founded KALYSTA, a mechatronics startup established in 2020 to transfer research innovations into industrial applications. KALYSTA emerged from the SEHA project funded by SATT Paris Saclay in close collaboration with UEPS and UVSQ, which focused on advanced servo electro-hydraulic actuation. The company aims to bring innovative mechatronic systems developed through academic research to market. KALYSTA strengthens the link between research, technological development, and industry.

AT A GLANCE

Key figures

Research output

53International patent publications

50+International papers

3Awards

Research leadership

2Industrial chairs

16+Projects managed

€5.5M+Research funding

People & partnerships

19Ph.D. theses supervised

15International collaborations

2,500+Teaching hours

RESEARCH

Research areas.

From integrated mechanisms to complete robotic systems, the research connects design, control and human interaction.

Humanoid robotics

Human-inspired mechanisms, integrated actuation and control architectures for capable, coordinated movement.

HYDROïD · ROMEO2

Assistive technologies

Wearable exoskeletons and mobility assistance designed around the needs, safety and autonomy of people.

SANDYC CHAIR · EXO-SOL

Advanced actuation

Compact electro-hydraulic systems and embedded control to bring high performance into practical robotic applications.

SEHA · KALYSTA

Mobile robotics

Omnidirectional mobile platforms combining mechanical design and embedded control for coordinated movement in complex environments.

MBZIRC 2017

Robotic manipulators

Design and control of multi-joint robotic arms integrated with mobile platforms for precise manipulation.

MBZIRC 2017 · 6-DOF MANIPULATOR

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP

Selected research & innovation projects.

Project leadership across humanoid robotics, assistive systems and mechatronics.

ACTUATION & PROGRAMS2019–2022

SEHA – Servo Electro-Hydraulic Actuation

Funded by SATT Paris-Saclay. The project aims to validate an innovative, ROS 2-compatible electro-hydraulic actuator combining hydraulic performance with the simplicity, cost, size, and weight advantages of electric actuators. It includes a patented force-compensation solution. The startup KALYSTA was created in 2020 to market the products developed within this project.

Senior Project Manager€635k

ASSISTIVE SYSTEMS2022–2027

Junior Professorship Chair (JPC)

"Evolutive Exoskeleton for Adolescents with Reduced Mobility", funded by MESR, UEPS and ANR.

Scientific & Financial Leader€525k

HUMANOID ROBOTICS2013–2017

ROMEO2 Humanoid Robot

Funded by ANR, full-size humanoid robot from Aldebaran Robotics, in collaboration with LIRMM, CEA and LISV. Responsible for the development of the integrated electro-hydraulically actuated elbow joint.

Sub-Project Manager€650k

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HUMANOID ROBOTICS2011–2018

HYDROïD Humanoid Robot

Funded by BIA Company and ANR. The first full-size humanoid robot with integrated electro-hydraulic actuation: 36 electro-hydraulic DoF and 17 electric DoF for the head. Patented hybrid mechanisms and patented control strategy.

Senior Project Manager€620k

ASSISTIVE SYSTEMS2019–present

Industrial Excellence Chair – SANDYC

Funded by SANDYC Industries, focused on exoskeletons for adolescents.

Project Leader€150k

ACTUATION & PROGRAMS2011–2018

Industrial Excellence Chair – BIA

Funded by BIA Company, focused on hydraulic domestication.

Project Leader€380k

ACTUATION & PROGRAMS2016–2021

iCode II – Institute for Control and Decision

IRS Initiatives de Recherche Stratégiques Paris-Saclay, led by Y. Chitour, A. Chaillet and S. AlFayad. Also responsible for Challenge Exo (€340k).

Co-Director€3M

ACTUATION & PROGRAMS2020–2022

MyRIAde – Mechatronics & AI Platform

Funded by the Île-de-France region: the first multidisciplinary training and research platform in Mechatronics and Artificial Intelligence at Université Paris-Saclay. Educational, scientific, and financial responsibility.

Project Leader€200k

HUMANOID ROBOTICS2015–2017

MBZIRC 2017 – Mobile Robot

Paris-Saclay Team for the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (Lidex Paris-Saclay – iCode I). Omnidirectional mobile robot with an easily adjustable 6-DOF manipulator arm. Patented modular design of an integrated omni wheel, electro-hydraulic brake, stabilizer legs, and EtherCAT + RTOS control architecture on an embedded PC for ROS 2 real-time operation.

Project Leader€120k

ASSISTIVE SYSTEMS2014–2018

EXO-SOL 0.1 – Adolescent Lower-Limb Exoskeleton

"Lower-Limb Exoskeleton for Adolescents with Spinal Cord Injury", industrial funding from SANDYC Industries.

Project Leader€120k

HUMANOID ROBOTICS2016–2017

HOPALALA – Educational Humanoid Platform

AAP Prématuration IDEX: "Safe and Low-Cost Educational Open Platform for Humanoid Robot", an open-source kit integrating ROS 2.

Project Leader€100k

IN THE LAB

Research in motion.

Robotics and mechatronics demonstrations from the laboratory.

Videos

Visit the YouTube channel

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VISUAL ARCHIVE

Research gallery.

Project photography and research posters.

Project photoAdolescent Exoskeleton

Research posterSEHA servo electro-hydraulic actuator

Project photoChild Exoskeleton

Research posterDistributed software architecture

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HOPALALA open-source educational humanoid robot platform

Project photoHopalala

Project photoHumanoid Arm

Project photoHybrid Ankle Mechanism

Project photoHYDROïD Sensors

Project photoLeak-Proof Assembly

Project photoLightweight Hydraulic Humanoid

Project photoLower-Limb Exoskeleton

Omnidirectional mobile robot with manipulator arm built for the MBZIRC 2017 challenge

Project photoMBZIRC

Project photoMechatronic Integrated Leg

Project photoScalable Adolescent Exoskeleton

Project photoVertebral Column

Research posterEmbedded control system for SEHA

Research posterReal-time control architecture

PATENTS

Patents & inventions.

Illustrated patent records covering actuation, robotic mechanisms and mobility. The research portfolio comprises 53 international patent publications across ten families.

Explore all patents on Google Patents

CYLINDER WITH INTEGRAL POSITION SENSOR

Inventors: ALFAYAD Samer, KARDOFAKI Mohamad, SLEIMAN Maya, ARLOT Romain

Published: 2022 – WO2023088972A1 (also US 18/711,493 – US20250020490A1, 2025)

View patent document ↗

HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR WITH OVERPRESSURE COMPENSATION

Inventors: ALFAYAD Samer, KARDOFAKI Mohamad, SLEIMAN Maya

Published: 2020 – WO2020173933A1 (EP3931444A1, DE2070 5749.8, CN113454338A, FR3093138A1)

View patent document ↗

OMNIDIRECTIONAL WHEEL AND VEHICLE IMPLEMENTING SAID WHEEL

Inventors: ALFAYAD Samer, KARDOFAKI Mohamad, FOUDA Khaled

Published: 2018 – WO2018158445A1 (EP3589499A1, DE18709327.3, FR3063453B1)

View patent document ↗

DISPOSITIF D'AIDE AU DÉPLACEMENT D'UN UTILISATEUR

Inventors: ALFAYAD Samer, NAMOUN Fayçal, BEN OUEZDOU Fathi

Published: 2018 – FR3055798A1 (INPI, France)

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DEVICE FOR PROPELLING A VEHICLE WITH ENERGY RECOVERY AND RESTITUTION

Inventors: NAMOUN Fayçal, BEN OUEZDOU Fathi, ALFAYAD Samer

Published: 01/09/2011 – WO2011104383A1 (FR2956841B1)

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METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A HUMANOID ROBOT

Inventors: ALFAYAD Samer, BRUNEAU Olivier, DOUBLIEZ P.F., BEN OUEZDOU Fathi

Published: 11/11/2010 – WO2010128088A1 (FR2945231B1, DE602010064 911.3)

View patent document ↗