In Memoriam: Philippe Coiffet (1940–2023) [Society News]

Abstract

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Prof. Philippe Coiffet on Friday, 20 October 2023, at the age of 83. Philippe was a remarkable person. As a scientist, he was a visionary and an open-minded researcher; he dedicated his life to the field of robotics (in particular, telerobotics and virtual reality), and he leaves us a rich legacy. On a human level, he was incredibly friendly and kind and an outstanding mentor to his students. Philippe received a doctorate in nuclear physics from Orsay University. He spent his entire scientific career at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique. In 1972, he set up the first public robotics research team at the University of Montpellier. Since then, he took numerous secondments. Philippe developed the first force feedback data glove in France, and he worked on enhancing computer-assisted telerobotics with virtual and augmented realities. He published more than 20 scientific books on robotics and virtual reality (most of them were translated into English and some into other languages) as well as more than 300 articles on these subjects. A full “In Memoriam” article is available at https://www.ieee-ras.org/about-ras/latest-news/in-memoriam-philippe-coiffet-1940-2023 ; you can leave a personal message to remember and honor Philippe at http://www.lirmm.fr/philippe-coiffet/ .