Objective
Although much has been done for developing technologies to bear upon problems of individuals with sensorimotor impairments, the impact of robotic aids on people with real needs in the real world is still very limited. Our main goal is to increase the cumulative benefits of assistive robotic technologies to society by enhancing their effectiveness AND the number of beneficiaries. The challenge is to increase both multipliers in the “performance times accessibility” product, subverting the traditional situation where one factor can only be increased at the expense of the other. We believe this is possible by investigating how the artificial can physically interact and effectively “talk to” the natural. Understanding such a “language” is crucial not only to improve performance of rehab technology, but also to tackle the most difficult problem of making it “simple enough” to be effective and accessible. We possess good clues about such a language, whose words we believe are sensorimotor synergies, and have the scientific competence to further its understanding and the technological prowess to translate it into a new generation of robotic assistive devices.
We know that a central ingredient for the applicability of synergy-based models to physical human-machine interaction is impedance adaptability, i.e. soft robotics technologies. We will develop soft synergy-based robotics technologies to produce new prostheses, exoskeletons, and assistive devices for upper limb rehabilitation.
Building on solid methodological bases, this project will have a significant social impact in promoting advanced robot prosthetic and assistive technology, while introducing disruptively new, admittedly risky, but potentially high-impact ideas and paradigms, such as the proposed pioneering work on supernumerary limbs for assistance and rehabilitation to motor impairments of the upper limb.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinephysiotherapy
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusesHIV
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticssoft robotics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
16163 Genova
Italy
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Participants (13)
7522 NB Enschede
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56126 Pisa
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Participation ended
30167 Hannover
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8092 Zuerich
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53100 Siena
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30625 Hannover
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7575 EJ Oldenzaal
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
7544 RG Enschede
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
164 40 Kista
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
56023 Navacchio Cascina
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
8006 Zurich
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55100 Lucca
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80333 Muenchen
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