Jose Martinez Lastra

José L. Martínez Lastra is Full Professor of Factory Automation at Tampere University and Head of FAST-Lab. RG.

His research career has focused on intelligent industrial systems, evolving from knowledge-based factory automation to human-centred robotics. His earlier work contributed to semantic technologies, service-oriented architectures and interoperability for flexible manufacturing, supporting a broader understanding of automation as knowledge integration, not only machine control. This work later expanded towards industrial cyber-physical systems, smart manufacturing and AI-supported automation. His current research addresses human-centred robotic intelligence, with emphasis on multimodal perception through vision, tactile and force sensing, deformable object manipulation, and adaptive human-robot collaboration in industrial environments. This technical work is complemented by a broader humanistic reflection on how artificial intelligence and robotics can extend human capabilities while preserving human agency, responsibility and dignity.