@article {3744, title = {Design and Assessment of Control Maps for Multi-Channel sEMG-Driven Prostheses and Supernumerary Limbs}, journal = {Frontiers in neurorobotics}, volume = {13}, year = {2019}, doi = {10.3389/fnbot.2019.00026}, url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbot.2019.00026/full}, author = {M. Maimeri and C. Della Santina and C. Piazza and M. Rossi and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli} } @article {3745, title = {Design and Assessment of Control Maps for Multi-Channel sEMG-Driven Prostheses and Supernumerary Limbs}, journal = {Frontiers in neurorobotics}, volume = {13}, year = {2019}, doi = {10.3389/fnbot.2019.00026}, author = {M. Maimeri and C. Della Santina and C. Piazza and M. Rossi and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli} } @article {3326, title = {Decentralized Trajectory Tracking Control for Soft Robots Interacting with the Environment}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO).}, volume = {Early Access}, year = {2018}, month = {06/2018}, abstract = {

Despite the classic nature of the problem, trajectory

tracking for soft robots, i.e. robots with compliant elements

deliberately introduced in their design, still presents several

challenges. One of these is to design controllers which can

obtain sufficiently high performance while preserving the physical

characteristics intrinsic to soft robots. Indeed, classic control

schemes using high gain feedback actions fundamentally alter the

natural compliance of soft robots effectively stiffening them, thus

de facto defeating their main design purpose. As an alternative

approach, we consider here to use a low-gain feedback, while

exploiting feedforward components. In order to cope with the

complexity and uncertainty of the dynamics, we adopt a decentralized,

iteratively learned feedforward action, combined with

a locally optimal feedback control. The relative authority of the

feedback and feedforward control actions adapts with the degree

of uncertainty of the learned component. The effectiveness of the

method is experimentally verified on several robotic structures

and working conditions, including unexpected interactions with

the environment, where preservation of softness is critical for

safety and robustness.

}, keywords = {Robotics}, author = {F. Angelini and C. Della Santina and M. Garabini and M. Bianchi and G M Gasparri and G. Grioli and M. G. Catalano and A. Bicchi} } @article {3696, title = {DeepDynamicHand: A Deep Neural Architecture for Labeling Hand Manipulation Strategies in Video Sources Exploiting Temporal Information}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurorobotics}, year = {2018}, author = {A. Visar and C. Della Santina and D. Bacciu and M. Bianchi and A. Bicchi} } @conference {3325, title = {Dynamic Control of Soft Robots Interacting with the Environment}, booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {24 - 28 April 2018, Livorno, Italy}, keywords = {Robotics}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8404895}, url = {https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8404895}, author = {C. Della Santina and R. K. Katzschmann and A. Bicchi and D. Rus} } @conference {3219, title = {Design, control and validation of the variable stiffness exoskeleton FLExo}, booktitle = {International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR)}, year = {2017}, pages = {539 - 546}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {London, UK, 17-20 July 2017}, abstract = {

In this paper we present the design of a one degree of freedom assistive platform to augment the strength of upper limbs. The core element is a variable stiffness actuator, closely reproducing the behavior of a pair of antagonistic muscles. The novelty introduced by this device is the analogy of its control parameters with those of the human muscle system, the threshold lengths. The analogy can be obtained from a proper tuning of the mechanical system parameters. Based on this, the idea is to control inputs by directly mapping the estimation of the muscle activations, e.g. via ElectroMyoGraphic(EMG) sensors, on the exoskeleton. The control policy resulting from this mapping acts in feedforward in a way to exploit the muscle-like dynamics of the mechanical device. Thanks to the particular structure of the actuator, the exoskeleton joint stiffness naturally results from that mapping. The platform as well as the novel control idea have been experimentally validated and the results show a substantial reduction of the subject muscle effort.

}, keywords = {Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009304}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8009304/}, author = {S. Mghames and M. Laghi and C. Della Santina and M. Garabini and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and A. Bicchi} } @conference {3106, title = {Design of an Under-Actuated Wrist Based on Adaptive Synergies}, booktitle = {IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation, ICRA2017}, year = {2017}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {Singapore, 29 May-3 June 2017}, abstract = {

An effective robotic wrist represents a key enabling element in robotic manipulation, especially in prosthetics. In this paper, we propose an under-actuated wrist system, which is also adaptable and allows to implement different under-actuation schemes. Our approach leverages upon the idea of soft synergies - in particular the design method of adaptive synergies - as it derives from the field of robot hand design. First we introduce the design principle and its implementation and function in a configurable test bench prototype, which can be used to demonstrate the feasibility of our idea. Furthermore, we report on results from preliminary experiments with humans, aiming to identify the most probable wrist pose during the pre-grasp phase in activities of daily living. Based on these outcomes, we calibrate our wrist prototype accordingly and demonstrate its effectiveness to accomplish grasping and manipulation tasks.

}, keywords = {Haptics, Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/ICRA.2017.7989789}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7989789/}, author = {S. Casini and V. Tincani and G. Averta and M. Poggiani and C. Della Santina and E. Battaglia and M. G. Catalano and M. Bianchi and G. Grioli and A. Bicchi} } @conference {3387, title = {Design of an under-actuated wrist based on adaptive synergies}, booktitle = {Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2017 IEEE International Conference on}, year = {2017}, pages = {6679{\textendash}6686}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, abstract = {

An effective robotic wrist represents a key en- abling element in robotic manipulation, especially in prosthetics. In this paper, we propose an under-actuated wrist system, which is also adaptable and allows to implement different under- actuation schemes. Our approach leverages upon the idea of soft synergies - in particular the design method of adaptive synergies - as it derives from the field of robot hand design. First we intro- duce the design principle and its implementation and function in a configurable test bench prototype, which can be used to demonstrate the feasibility of our idea. Furthermore, we report on results from preliminary experiments with humans, aiming to identify the most probable wrist pose during the pre-grasp phase in activities of daily living. Based on these outcomes, we calibrate our wrist prototype accordingly and demonstrate its effectiveness to accomplish grasping and manipulation tasks.

}, author = {S. Casini and V. Tincani and G. Averta and M. Poggiani and C. Della Santina and E. Battaglia and M. G. Catalano and M. Bianchi and G. Grioli and A. Bicchi} } @conference {2537, title = {Dexterity augmentation on a synergistic hand: the Pisa/IIT SoftHand+}, booktitle = {15th IEEE RAS Humanoids Conference (HUMANOIDS2015)}, year = {2015}, note = {

Softhands, SOMA

Best Interactive Paper Award

}, pages = {497 - 503}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {Seoul, Korea, November 3 - 5, 2015}, abstract = {
Soft robotics and under-actuation were recently demonstrated as good approaches for the implementation of humanoid robotic hands. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to increase the number of degrees of actuation of heavily under-actuated hands without compromising their intrinsic simplicity. In this paper we analyze the Pisa/IIT SoftHand and its underlying logic of adaptive synergies, and propose a method to double its number of degree of actuation, with a very reduced impact on its mechanical complexity. This new design paradigm is based on constructive exploitation of friction phenomena.
Based on this method, a novel prototype of under-actuated robot hand with two degrees of actuation is proposed, named Pisa/IIT SoftHand+. A preliminary validation of the prototype follows, based on grasping and manipulation examples of some objects.
}, keywords = {Haptics, Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/HUMANOIDS.2015.7363595}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=7363595}, author = {C. Della Santina and G. Grioli and M. G. Catalano and Brando, A. and A. Bicchi} }