The workshop aims to broadly define the state of the art in the main areas of assistive technology, to allow experts to confront their expertise in mechanical design, control implementation and clinical analysis in order to envision a unified strategy for "Human in the Loop".
Design and control are the two pillars and complementary aspects of assistivetechnology. An effective design often starts from the a priori knowledge of thecontrol architecture which will be implemented for having a device which isrobust and ergonomically efficient. The objective of this workshop is to highlightthe new trends in design and control optimization for assistive technology.
How robotics can drive the restoration of function or providing optimal assistancein people with movement disabilities, is still an open question. Intelligentprostheses and exoskeleton using natural and human-like perception and controlstrategies are gradually changing the game in both industrial and clinicalsettings. However, this transformation is still far from being optimal and a wideruse of such technology is constrained by the lack of a general, solid theoreticalapproach to the problem of design and control optimization of human-machineinteracting devices.
The new design approaches in Bioinspiration and Biomimetics are re-shaping thefield of rehabilitation robotics and assistive technology: yet these novel trendscomprising soft wearable robotics, energy harvesting mechanisms, newintelligent materials, optimal control and machine learning, and intelligentprosthetics show a scattered scenario, where the synergistic use of thesedisciplines is far from being adopted.
How to formulate a unified approach which allows scientists to put together theabove mentioned fields and compose a roadmap for development of a moreefficient technology?
To achieve the workshop’s objectives we will bring together experts who pioneered this multidisciplinary approach, and who effectively provided answersto the afore mentioned problems.
We will call for contributions in the following areas:
Human-in-the-loop control of robotic systems
Principled simplification approaches for the modeling and analysis of the human physical behavior
Learning human sensory-motor control for human-to-robot skill transfer
Exoskeletons and assistive devices for rehabilitation and augmentation
Upper and lower limb prostheses
Quantification Efficacy,Safety and Intuitiveness in Human-RobotInteraction
Mutual Learning and Adaptation in Human-Robot Systems Feedbackmodalities
Tom Verstraten (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
11:45
Katja Mombaur (Heidelberg University, Germany)
12:15
LUNCH
14:15
Elliott Rouse (University of Michigan, USA)
14:45
Manuel Catalano (University of Pisa, IIT, Italy)
15:15
Poster Session
15:45
COFFEE & Posters
16:15
Brian Kang (Seoul National University, Korea)
16:45
Lorenzo Masia (Heidelberg University, Germany)
17:15
Final Discussion
17:30
end
Confirmed Speakers:
Manuel Catalan
University of Pisa, IIT, Italy
Title: An Active Supernumerary Hand For Grasping Assistance: The Softhand X
Tom Verstraten
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Title: Actuation of active prosthetics and exoskeletons for rehabilitation and manufacturing
Katherine Poggense
Stanford, USA
Title: Designing and controlling assistive devices to enhance human locomotion
Elliott Rouse
University of Michigan, USA
Title: Perception of ankle-foot impedance and implications in prosthetic design and prescription
Brian Kang
Seoul National University Soft Robotics Research Center
Title: Assistive Technology for Soft Wearable Hand Robot with Enhanced Usability
Kenji Suzuki
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Title: Robotic Exoskeleton with Smart Mechanics for Mobility Unlimited
Nicola Vitiello
Scuola Superiore Santanna, Italy
Title: Novel trends in assistive and prosthetic robotics at The BioRobotics Institute
Lorenzo Masia
Heidelberg University, Germany
Title: Upper Limb Soft Wearable Exosuits: towards a symbiotic assistive technology
Katja Mombaur
Heidelberg University, Germany
Title: Optimization-based design of spinal exoskeletons at Heidelberg University within the SPEXOR project
Poster Presenters:
Antonio Padilha Lanari Bo
The University of Queensland, Australia
Title: Novel trends for Design and Optimal Control of Wearable Assistive Technology
Shiyin Qiu
Shenzhen Academy of Aerospace Technology, China
Title: A Unified Active Assistance Control Framework of Hip Exoskeleton for Walking and Balance Assistance
Guoping Zhao
TU Darmstadt, Germany
Title: Biarticular passive exosuit can assist walking
Intended Audience:
The design of wearable robots and assistive technology is a key researchtopic in robotics with a wide range of application in industry, household,care, clinics etc. Many different disciplines are necessary to successfullydesign, build, control and test such devices. The intended audience of thisworkshop is therefore expected to be very diverse and come from thefields of robotics, mechatronics, biomechanics, neuroscience andbiomedical and rehabilitation engineering and medicine, as well asmathematics, computer science and computer engineering. The workshopaims to bring together senior and junior researchers across the multipleareas among the speakers as well as in the audience, for meaningfuldiscussions and complementary but not yet synergistic talks.
Support/Endorsements
The workshop proposal is supported by the following Technical committees and projects:
IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Model-based optimization for Robotics (letter attached
IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Wearable Robots (letter attached)
European Project SPEXOR (Spinal exoskeletal robot for low back pain prevention and vocationalreintegration)
Carl Zeiss Project HeiAge (Assistive Robotics & Digital Technology for an Ageing Population)
