diff --git a/src/presa_mano/perception/stl_sampler.py b/src/presa_mano/perception/stl_sampler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..712ccb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/presa_mano/perception/stl_sampler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+"""Parse binary/ASCII STL bytes and uniformly sample the surface.
+
+Output unit follows the STL convention (no unit conversion - STL files for
+robotics are by convention in millimetres, but we don't enforce it here).
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import io
+
+import numpy as np
+from stl import mesh as stl_mesh
+
+
+def parse_stl_bytes(stl_bytes: bytes) -> tuple[np.ndarray, np.ndarray]:
+    """Parse STL bytes (binary or ASCII) -> (vertices (M,3) float64,
+    triangles (T,3) int32).
+
+    Vertices are deduplicated so the same point used by multiple triangles
+    appears once. Raises numpy_stl exceptions on malformed input.
+    """
+    m = stl_mesh.Mesh.from_file(filename="dummy.stl", fh=io.BytesIO(stl_bytes))
+    # m.vectors shape: (T, 3, 3) - three vertices per triangle, raw.
+    if m.vectors is None or len(m.vectors) == 0:
+        raise ValueError("STL parse yielded no triangles (empty or malformed)")
+    tris_raw = np.asarray(m.vectors, dtype=np.float64).reshape(-1, 3)
+    unique, inverse = np.unique(tris_raw, axis=0, return_inverse=True)
+    triangles = inverse.reshape(-1, 3).astype(np.int32)
+    return unique, triangles
+
+
+def sample_surface(
+    vertices: np.ndarray,
+    triangles: np.ndarray,
+    n: int,
+    seed: int = 0,
+) -> np.ndarray:
+    """Sample n points uniformly on the mesh surface, weighted by triangle area.
+
+    Algorithm:
+        1. Compute area for each triangle.
+        2. Cumulative area -> pick triangle index via inverse CDF.
+        3. For each pick, sample a uniform barycentric coordinate:
+           (1-sqrt(r1)) A + sqrt(r1)(1-r2) B + sqrt(r1) r2 C with r1, r2 ~ U(0,1).
+    """
+    if triangles.size == 0:
+        return np.empty((0, 3), dtype=np.float64)
+    A = vertices[triangles[:, 0]]
+    B = vertices[triangles[:, 1]]
+    C = vertices[triangles[:, 2]]
+    areas = 0.5 * np.linalg.norm(np.cross(B - A, C - A), axis=1)
+    total = areas.sum()
+    if total <= 0.0:
+        # degenerate mesh: fall back to vertex sampling
+        rng = np.random.default_rng(seed)
+        idx = rng.integers(0, vertices.shape[0], size=n)
+        return vertices[idx]
+    cdf = np.cumsum(areas) / total
+    rng = np.random.default_rng(seed)
+    u = rng.random(n)
+    tri_idx = np.searchsorted(cdf, u, side="right")
+    tri_idx = np.clip(tri_idx, 0, triangles.shape[0] - 1)
+    r1 = rng.random(n)
+    r2 = rng.random(n)
+    sqrt_r1 = np.sqrt(r1)
+    w_a = (1.0 - sqrt_r1)[:, None]
+    w_b = (sqrt_r1 * (1.0 - r2))[:, None]
+    w_c = (sqrt_r1 * r2)[:, None]
+    return (w_a * A[tri_idx] + w_b * B[tri_idx] + w_c * C[tri_idx]).astype(np.float64)
diff --git a/tests/test_stl_sampler.py b/tests/test_stl_sampler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0439c5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_stl_sampler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+"""Unit tests for stl_sampler."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import io
+import struct
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+from presa_mano.perception.stl_sampler import parse_stl_bytes, sample_surface
+
+
+def _make_cube_stl_bytes(side_mm: float = 10.0) -> bytes:
+    """Synthesize a binary STL of an axis-aligned cube centered at origin,
+    from -side/2 to +side/2 on each axis. 12 triangles, no normals needed."""
+    s = side_mm / 2.0
+    v = [
+        (-s, -s, -s), ( s, -s, -s), ( s,  s, -s), (-s,  s, -s),
+        (-s, -s,  s), ( s, -s,  s), ( s,  s,  s), (-s,  s,  s),
+    ]
+    # 6 faces x 2 tris (vertex order: any orientation works for our use)
+    tris = [
+        (0, 1, 2), (0, 2, 3),  # z=-s
+        (4, 6, 5), (4, 7, 6),  # z=+s
+        (0, 4, 5), (0, 5, 1),  # y=-s
+        (3, 2, 6), (3, 6, 7),  # y=+s
+        (0, 3, 7), (0, 7, 4),  # x=-s
+        (1, 5, 6), (1, 6, 2),  # x=+s
+    ]
+    buf = io.BytesIO()
+    buf.write(b"\x00" * 80)                 # header
+    buf.write(struct.pack("<I", len(tris))) # n_triangles
+    for (i, j, k) in tris:
+        buf.write(struct.pack("<fff", 0.0, 0.0, 0.0))  # normal (unused)
+        for idx in (i, j, k):
+            buf.write(struct.pack("<fff", *v[idx]))
+        buf.write(struct.pack("<H", 0))                 # attribute byte count
+    return buf.getvalue()
+
+
+def test_parse_stl_cube_bbox():
+    stl_bytes = _make_cube_stl_bytes(side_mm=10.0)
+    verts, tris = parse_stl_bytes(stl_bytes)
+    assert verts.ndim == 2 and verts.shape[1] == 3
+    assert tris.ndim == 2 and tris.shape[1] == 3
+    assert tris.dtype.kind == "i"
+    # BB del cubo: [-5, +5] su ogni asse
+    np.testing.assert_allclose(verts.min(axis=0), [-5.0, -5.0, -5.0], atol=1e-6)
+    np.testing.assert_allclose(verts.max(axis=0), [ 5.0,  5.0,  5.0], atol=1e-6)
+
+
+def test_sample_surface_in_bbox():
+    stl_bytes = _make_cube_stl_bytes(side_mm=10.0)
+    verts, tris = parse_stl_bytes(stl_bytes)
+    pts = sample_surface(verts, tris, n=1000, seed=0)
+    assert pts.shape == (1000, 3)
+    # tutti i punti devono cadere dentro la BB del cubo (più epsilon
+    # per il rumore di floating point bary)
+    np.testing.assert_array_less(pts.max(axis=0), 5.0 + 1e-4)
+    np.testing.assert_array_less(-pts.min(axis=0), 5.0 + 1e-4)
+
+
+def test_sample_surface_distribution_uniform():
+    """8 octanti del cubo, ognuno >= 8% dei punti (perfetto = 100/6 ~= 16.7%
+    per faccia, distribuita su 4 octanti adiacenti)."""
+    stl_bytes = _make_cube_stl_bytes(side_mm=10.0)
+    verts, tris = parse_stl_bytes(stl_bytes)
+    pts = sample_surface(verts, tris, n=2000, seed=1)
+    counts = np.zeros(8, dtype=np.int64)
+    for p in pts:
+        # bin (x>0, y>0, z>0) -> 0..7
+        idx = (int(p[0] > 0) << 2) | (int(p[1] > 0) << 1) | int(p[2] > 0)
+        counts[idx] += 1
+    frac = counts / pts.shape[0]
+    assert (frac > 0.08).all(), f"octant fractions too uneven: {frac}"
+
+
+def test_sample_surface_seed_deterministic():
+    stl_bytes = _make_cube_stl_bytes(side_mm=10.0)
+    verts, tris = parse_stl_bytes(stl_bytes)
+    a = sample_surface(verts, tris, n=100, seed=42)
+    b = sample_surface(verts, tris, n=100, seed=42)
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(a, b)
+
+
+def test_parse_stl_bad_payload_raises():
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):  # numpy-stl raises various; we just want it to not silently pass
+        parse_stl_bytes(b"not a real STL")