CV of

BioRoboticsArianna Menciassi

Christian Cipriani

PhD Presentation, Nov. 9 2011, Pisa

The BioRobotics Institute

Pontedera, 20 km

from Pisa, 15

minutes by train

People: 158

2 Full Professors

3 + 1 Associate Professors

2 Assistant Professors (one tenured)

6 Administrative Assistants (5 permanent)7 Technical Assistants (6 permanent)

28 Research assistants

40 Post Docs research assistants

69 PhD Students

The BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore S ant’Anna

EDUCATION RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

MAIN AREAS and AREA LEADERS

� Humanoid Robotics (Paolo DARIO)

� Neuro-Robotics (Maria Chiara CARROZZA)

� Biomedical Signal Processing (Angelo Maria SABATINI)

� Surgical Robotics (Arianna MENCIASSI)

� Soft Robotics (Cecilia LASCHI)

� Neural Engineering (Silvestro MICERA)

� Creative Design (Cesare STEFANINI)

�Future and Emerging BioRobotics (Paolo DARIO)

Humanoid Robotics(Paolo Dario)

SABIAN WABIAN

Locomotion in Humanoid Robotics

• SABIAN (Sant’Anna BIped humANoid) robotic

Platform: Italian copy of WABIAN (WAseda

BIped humANoid).

• Current Research:

� New Hardware & Software systems

development necessary to the Sabian

locomotion;

� New Methods to improve the stability

of the platform.

The synergy between neuroscientific and

robotics research fields

The mutual exchange aims to validate

biological theories and to discover new bio -

inspired technologies.

In particular, the research field focuses on

the implementation of:

•Neuroscientific models for gaze control

•Sensory motor anticipation architectures

•Visual control algorithms for locomotive

navigation

Neuro-Robotics AreaResponsible: prof. Maria Chiara Carrozza

Is “physical” human-robot symbiosis doable?In 1960s, in Man-Computer symbiosis , J.C.R. Licklider formulated a vision of human-computer

symbiosis in which computers and humans would become fluidly interdependent and share goals

In 2010s, in many tasks, human and computer share goals and are interdependent

� Robotic hand able to perform dexterous actions and sense objects

� Suitable interfaces for controlling perception and actions

� Sense of body ownership for amputees

� Wearable active orthoses for assistance and rehabilitation

� Non-invasive human-machine interfaces

� Wearable sensors

� Upper-limb robot assisted rehabilitation

� Locomotion robot-assisted rehabilitation

� Respiratory tele-rehabilitation and tele-monitoring

� Biomimetic fingertip and roughness discrimination

� Neuro-inspired processing

� Zero-power tactile sensing

Dexterous hand prosthesis

Artificial sense of touch

Wearable assistive machines

Rehabilitation

robotics and tele-

rehabilitation

Area:

Biomedical Signal Processing (M.A. Sabatini)

The research activity concerns the development of wearable sensor

systems for ambulatory human movement monitoring

Activity 1

Design, fabrication and testing of wireless inertial and

magnetic measurement units (WiiMU)

Activity 2

State and parameter estimation techniques for processing data from

WiiMU-based wearable sensor systems

A2-1 Adaptive Extended Kalman Filtering algorithms for pose estimation of rigid bodies in highly

perturbed magnetic environments

A2-2 Hybrid generative/discriminative algorithms for classification of physical

activities, energy expenditure estimation, detection of incipient falls, and

Hidden Markov Models for real-time gait segmentation from in-foot sensors

WiiMU

� Why focusing on surgical robotics: - novel and advanced solutions for early diagnosis are available, BUT we have to cover the gap between diagnosis and therapy by developing systems for minimally invasive interventions- robotics can contribute dramatically by adding precision to interventions, standardizing procedures, reaching the microscale

� Districts: Endoscopy and therapy of the digestive tract, abdominaland thoracic surgery, vascular interventions

Research Area of Surgical RoboticsResearch Area of Surgical Robotics

- components

� Working at the level of- systems

ARAKNES project

Micro-VAST project

Vector project

SensorART project

… and experiments

� With a blend between - theory …

Arianna

Menciassi

Soft Robotics Soft Robotics (Cecilia Laschi)

DenavitHartenberg

Bioinspiredalgorythms

Synthetic design

Biologically inspired functional design

Rigid linksand joints

Discrete approach

Continuous approach

EULER NEWTON

Soft-bodied robots

Neural Engineering (NeuENG) Area

(Neural Interfaces and Neural Prostheses)

Cybernetic hand prosthesis (TIME, MERIDIAN, NEMESIS Proj.)

Vestibular neuroprosthesis (CLONS EU Project) Spinal neuroprosthesis

(NeuWalk Project)

Responsible:Dr. S. Micera

Actuated intraneural electrodes

Self-opening intraneural electrodes

Creative Design AreaInventing in engineering

Cesare Stefanini

Research Activities

Future and Emerging

Robotics - Paolo Dario

The BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore S ant’Anna

EDUCATION RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Education at The BioRobotics Institute of the Scuol a Superiore Sant’Anna

The BioRobotics MODEL of EDUCATION:�Inclusive�Interdisciplinarity vs. specialisation�Creativeness�Bold/groundbreaking ideas

Each new PhD student, regardless his/her background, attends the courses of:- Creative design- Innovation and technology management (in collaboration with the Institute of Management)

Skills and tools for entrepreneurship and

technology managementPiccaluga – Di Minin 3-6

http://www.mbr.iit.it

Abstract: The course objective is to provide students with the basic knowledge of micro-and nano-technologies for biomedical applications. In fact, micro- and nano-systems for biomedical applications represent a very effective alternative to traditional therapy and surgery techniques. The course will study the different technologies and solutions for medicine with a system approach, by investigating the micro- and nano-devices as mechatronic systems.

Program: •Definitions: micro- and nano-robotics, nanotechnology, NEMS•Basic micro- and nano-fabrication technologies•Scaling laws from micro- to nano-phenomena•Examples of nano sensors and nano actuators•Nanotechnologies for bio/not-bio interface studies (e.g. for basic neuroscience and for investigating cell adhesion)•Nanotechnologies for diagnosis and therapy: 1) cell ablation; 2) drug delivery; 3) imaging; 4) gene therapy.

Final exam:

Previous examinations:One day or half day workshop with the analysis of a paper on topics related to the program – 15 minutes of presentation (in English), 5 minutes of Q&A.Approximately 20 minutes x 12 students = 240 minutes = at least 4 hours.

Current examination: written test (most likely)When: Second half of May – beginning of June

Basic Program

The BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore S ant’Anna

EDUCATION RESEARCHTECHNOLOGY

TRANSFER

Continental, Fauglia

LION Shoes, San Miniato

fibres

Optical mirror

sensorsProgramming

bus

fibres

Optical mirror

sensorsProgramming

bus

Toyota Motor Corporation

Thank you!

Paolo Dario, Direttore

Istituto di BioRobotica, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna

Polo Sant'Anna Valdera

viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera (Pisa)