List of Speakers

Presentation: Emotion Recognition in Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation of Elderly and Pediatric Patients

Abstract: There has been a growing interest in rehabilitation robotics to support the recovery process of elderly and pediatric patients. Robot-assisted rehabilitation systems have been developed to monitor the performance of patients and adapt the rehabilitation task intensity and difficulty level. These robots mainly focus on improving patients' physical conditions, such as weakness, by providing physical support. On the other hand, rehabilitation robots can be more prosperous if they can modify the rehabilitation task considering the changes in the emotions of the elderly and pediatric patients. Emotions can be recognized using innovative and available technologies, such as cameras, and wearable devices, together with advances in machine/deep learning methods. Robot-assisted rehabilitation systems with emotion recognition can support the patients physically and mentally at the same time. In this talk, I will first present rehabilitation robots developed for elderly and pediatric patients in our Robotics Research Laboratory. Then, I will describe why it is essential to understand the patients' emotions during robot-assisted rehabilitation. Later, I will discuss the emotion recognition systems developed for rehabilitation robots in our laboratory. I will conclude my talk by providing our findings on how emotion recognition integration can increase the use of robots in rehabilitation therapies in the future.

Presentation: Healthcare robotics: challenges and opportunities

Abstract: The main theme of this talk is on the development of rehabilitation exoskeletons and prosthetics. The talk will start with an overview of the main issues in the design of healthcare robotics and will address the demand for a paradigm shift in the development approach towards the adoption of user-centred methods and the use of industrial design throughout the design process. The development approach currently employed in the Rehab Technologies Lab of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is largely influenced by the mentioned methods and was used to develop a few prosthetic and exoskeletal devices. These are: Hannes, a poly-articulated upper limb prosthesis, Pro-leg, a lower limb prosthesis, Float (upper limb exoskeleton) and Twin (lower limb exoskeleton). Each one of these devices has a distinctive feature: Hannes utilises only one motor to bring power to all fingers and articulations and has an extremely natural and effective grasp, Pro-leg is very silent and provides active assistance to all activities which require active power, like standing up or climbing the stairs, Twin can be assembled or disassembled in small parts to facilitate utilisation and transport, and Float has a passive gravity compensation mechanical system which allows the patient to wear the machine without perceiving its weight.

These devices and the main development phases will be briefly presented as use-cases of the introduced method.

Presentation: The P-KAFO: Bringing Power to Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthoses

Abstract: Knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) are prescribed for individuals with knee instability, quadriceps weakness, knee hyperextension, and varus or valgus deformity. Locking KAFOs provide weight-bearing knee stability but locking the knee results in loss of foot clearance in swing and compensations such as circumduction, vaulting, and hip hiking. Stance Control KAFOs (SC-KAFOs) lock the knee only during stance, releasing to allow free swing, but these are often unreliable, particularly on uneven terrain. Furthermore, current KAFOs are passive, meaning they are unable to provide active assistance for knee flexion and extension during the swing phase of gait. To offer reliable stance phase locking at any knee angle, reliable unlocking, and active assistance for knee flexion and extension during the swing phase, a new powered KAFO (P-KAFO) has been developed by Parker Hannifin Corporation, which incorporates active, intelligent swing assistance and stance control. The P-KAFO integrates a dual-upright KAFO made with custom fabrication techniques and a power unit, which makes use of proven technology from the exoskeleton industry. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate how the system undergoes hardware fit and software fit, and assess functional ambulation, balance, and exertion during gait with and without the P-KAFO. In this talk, the P-KAFO is introduced and described, and results of preliminary functional testing are presented.

Presentation: Unleash the Tether: High Force Actuators for Portable And Efficient Soft Robots

Abstract: This talk will present actuator design solutions for compliant robots and soft-material robots. For compliant robots, I will present a design paradigm for compliant robots that leverages high torque density motors to enable the electrification of robotic actuation. Thus, wearable robots could be lightweight, highly compliant, and with high bandwidth. For soft-material robots, I will present two methods (high-efficient pump and bi-stability) to achieve high-force and high-efficient soft robots. Our AI-powered controllers that estimate real-time human dynamics and assist multimodal locomotion are also essential to provide biomechanical benefits for able-bodied individuals and people with disabilities. Our breakthrough advances in bionic limbs will provide greater mobility and new hope to those with physical disabilities. We envision that our work will enable a paradigm shift of wearable robots from lab-bounded rehabilitation machines to ubiquitous personal robots for workplace injury prevention, pediatric and elderly rehabilitation, home care, and space exploration.

Presentation: Moving Bionic Legs from the Lab to the Real World

Abstract: Bionic technologies present a unique opportunity to address the unmet needs of millions of individuals with physical disabilities. Critical to this goal is the development of mechatronic technologies and control systems that intuitively interact with the human, ultimately leading to a symbiotic human-machine interaction. In this talk, I describe research activities underway to advance the science of bionics. I present novel designs empowering lightweight, compact, and high-performance robotic leg prostheses and exoskeletons. I introduce adaptive, volitional control strategies enabling bionic legs to assist users with gait and functional mobility. Further, I review preclinical trials with individuals with lower-limb impairments. Finally, I discuss critical areas of future research that must be advanced to move bionic legs from the lab to the real world.

Presentation: Wearable Mechatronics Designs that Enhance Performance of Exoskeletons

Abstract: Exoskeletons are robotic systems that are designed to assist, aid, and help people in their body movement. Exoskeletons have been found in very broad applications including healthcare, elderly assistance, industrial and military uses. For exoskeleton development, mechatronics plays a critical role to achieve a lightweight, compact, and effective solution for enhancing their performance of human-exoskeleton interaction and finally their successful deployment. In this talk, research challenges in the assistive exoskeleton design and development will be discussed. Innovative mechatronics designs will be introduced, including novel shoulder exoskeletons, variable stiffness mechanisms, integrated actuation, dual-modality sensors for convenient intension detection and interaction control. Examples of exoskeletons developed from EU and Danish national projects such as EXO-SUIT, Patient@home, Exo-aider, Exskallerate etc, along their applications, will be presented.