@conference {3220, title = {Estimating Contact Forces from Postural Measures in a class of Under-Actuated Robotic Hands}, booktitle = {IEEE International Conference of Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2017)}, year = {2017}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {Vancouver, Canada, September 24{\textendash}28, 2017}, keywords = {Robotics}, author = {C. Della Santina and C. Piazza and G. Santaera and G. Grioli and M. G. Catalano and A. Bicchi} } @conference {3215, title = {Preliminary results toward a naturally controlled multi-synergistic prosthetic hand}, booktitle = {International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR)}, year = {2017}, abstract = {

Robotic hands embedding human motor control principles in their mechanical design are getting increasing interest thanks to their simplicity and robustness, combined with good performance. Another key aspect of these hands is that humans can use them very effectively thanks to the similarity of their behavior with real hands. Nevertheless, controlling more than one degree of actuation remains a challenging task. In this paper, we take advantage of these characteristics in a multi-synergistic prosthesis. We propose an integrated setup composed of Pisa/IIT SoftHand 2 and a control strategy which simultaneously and proportionally maps the human hand movements to the robotic hand. The control technique is based on a combination of non-negative matrix factorization and linear regression algorithms. It also features a real-time continuous posture compensation of the electromyographic signals based on an IMU. The algorithm is tested on five healthy subjects through an experiment in a virtual environment. In a separate experiment, the efficacy of the posture compensation strategy is evaluated on five healthy subjects and, finally, the whole setup is successfully tested in performing realistic daily life activities.

}, keywords = {Robotics}, isbn = {978-1-5386-2296-4}, doi = {10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009437}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8009437/}, author = {M. Rossi and C. Della Santina and C. Piazza and G. Grioli and M. G. Catalano and A. Bicchi} } @article {2875, title = {The Quest for Natural Machine Motion: An Open Platform to Fast-Prototyping Articulated Soft Robots}, journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine }, volume = {24}, year = {2017}, note = {

Open access

e wish to thank Samuele Batazzi, Fabio Bonomo, Alberto
Brando, Andrea Di Basco, Tommaso Pardi, Riccardo Persichi-
ni, and Alessandro Raugi for their valuable support in the
development of the hardware prototype. This work was sup-
ported by SOFTPRO (grant 688857) and SOMA (grant
645599){\textemdash}projects of the European Commission{\textquoteright}s Horizon
2020 research program{\textemdash}and by Walk-Man grant 611832.
Support also came from the European Research Council
under an Advanced Grant for {\textquotedblleft}SoftHands: A Theory of Soft
Synergies for a New Generation of Artificial Hands{\textquotedblright} (grant
ERC-291166).
}, pages = {48 - 56}, abstract = {
Soft robots are one of the most significant recent evolutions in robotics. They rely on compliant physical structures purposefully designed to embody desired characteristics. Since their introduction, they have shown remarkable applicability in overcoming their rigid counterparts in such areas as interaction with humans, adaptability, energy efficiency, and maximization of peak performance. Nonetheless, we believe
that research on novel soft robot applications is still slowed by the difficulty in obtaining or developing a working soft robot structure to explore novel applications.
In this article, we present the Natural Machine Motion Initiative (NMMI), a modular open platform that aims to provide the scientific community with tools for fast and easy prototyping of articulated soft robots. Such a platform is composed of three main open hardware modules: the Qbmoves variable-stiffness actuators (VSAs) to build the main robotic structure, soft end effectors (EEs) to interact with the world, and a pool of application-specific add-ons. We also discuss many novel uses of the platform to rapidly prototype (RP) and test new robotic structures with original soft capabilities, and we propose NMMI- based experiments.
}, keywords = {Robotics}, issn = {1070-9932 }, doi = {10.1109/MRA.2016.2636366}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=7857692}, author = {C. Della Santina and C. Piazza and Gasparri, G. M. and M. Bonilla and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and M. Garabini and A. Bicchi} } @article {3258, title = {The SoftHand Pro-H: A Hybrid Body-Controlled, Electrically Powered Hand Prosthesis for Daily Living and Working }, journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine}, year = {2017}, note = {

This work was supported by the European Commission project (Horizon 2020 research program) SOFTPRO 688857, the European Research Council under the Advanced Grant SoftHands {\textquotedblleft}A Theory of Soft Synergies for a New Generation of Artificial Hands,{\textquotedblright} ERC-291166, and the Proof of Concept Project SoftHand Pro-H, ERC-2016-PoC 727536.\ 

}, month = {11/2017}, keywords = {Haptics, Robotics}, issn = {1070-9932}, doi = {10.1109/MRA.2017.2751662}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=8110634}, author = {C. Piazza and M. G. Catalano and S. B. Godfrey and M. Rossi and G. Grioli and M. Bianchi and K. Zhao and A. Bicchi} } @conference {2725, title = {SoftHand Pro-D: Matching Dynamic Content of Natural User Commands with Hand Embodiment for Enhanced Prosthesis Control}, booktitle = {IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation (ICRA2016)}, year = {2016}, note = {

softpro soma softhands

}, pages = {3516 - 3523}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {Stockholm, Sweden, May 16-21}, abstract = {

State of the art of hand prosthetics is divided between simple and reliable gripper-like systems and sophisticate hi-tech poly-articular hands which tend to be complex both in their design and for the patient to operate. In this paper, we introduce the idea of decoding different movement intentions of the patient using the dynamic frequency content of the control signals in a natural way. We move a step further showing how this idea can be embedded in the mechanics of an underactuated soft hand by using only passive damping components.

In particular we devise a method to design the hand hardware to obtain a given desired motion. This method, that we call of the dynamic synergies, builds on the theory of linear descriptor systems, and is based on the division of the hand movement in a slow and a fast components. We use this method to evolve the design of the Pisa/IIT SoftHand in a prototype prosthesis which, while still having 19 degrees of freedom and just one motor, can move along two different synergistic directions of motion (and combinations of the two), to perform either a pinch or a power grasp. Preliminary experimental results are presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed design

}, keywords = {Haptics, Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/ICRA.2016.7487532}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=7487532}, author = {C. Piazza and C. Della Santina and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and M. Garabini and A. Bicchi} } @conference {2881, title = {Toward an Adaptive Foot for Natural Walking}, booktitle = {International Conference on Humanoid Robots (HUMANOIDS2016)}, year = {2016}, address = {Cancun, Mexico, November 15-17, 2016}, abstract = {

Many walking robot presented in literature stand
on rigid flat feet, with a few notable exceptions that embed
flexibility in their feet to optimize the energetic cost of walking.
This paper proposes a novel adaptive robot foot design, whose
main goal is to ease the task of standing and walking on uneven
terrains. After explaining the rationale behind our design
approach, we present the design of the SoftFoot, a foot able
to comply with uneven terrains and to absorb shocks thanks to
its intrinsic adaptivity, while still being able to rigidly support
the stance, maintaining a rather extended contact surface,
and effectively enlarging the equivalent support polygon. The
paper introduces the robot design and prototype and presents
preliminary validation and comparison versus a rigid flat foot
with comparable footprint and sole.

}, keywords = {Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/HUMANOIDS.2016.7803423}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=7803423}, author = {C. Piazza and C. Della Santina and Gasparri, G. M. and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and M. Garabini and A. Bicchi} } @article {1665, title = {Adaptive Synergies for the Design and Control of the Pisa/IIT SoftHand}, journal = {International Journal of Robotics Research}, volume = {33}, year = {2014}, pages = {768{\textendash}782}, keywords = {Haptics, Robotics}, doi = {10.1177/0278364913518998}, author = {M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and E. Farnioli and A. Serio and C. Piazza and A. Bicchi} } @conference {2232, title = {Grasping with Soft Hands}, booktitle = {IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots (HUMANOIDS 2014)}, year = {2014}, pages = {581 - 587}, address = {Madrid, Spain, November 18 - 20}, abstract = {

Despite some prematurely optimistic claims, the ability of robots to grasp general objects in unstructured environments still remains far behind that of humans. This is not solely caused by differences in the mechanics of hands: indeed, we show that human use of a simple robot hand (the Pisa/IIT SoftHand) can afford capabilities that are comparable to natural grasping. It is through the observation of such human-directed robot hand operations that we realized how fundamental in everyday grasping and manipulation is the role of hand compliance, which is used to adapt to the shape of surrounding objects. Objects and environmental constraints are in turn used to functionally shape the hand, going beyond its nominal kinematic limits by exploiting structural softness. In this paper, we set out to study grasp planning for hands that are simple {\textemdash} in the sense of low number of actuated degrees of freedom (one for the Pisa/IIT SoftHand) {\textemdash} but are soft, i.e. continuously deformable in an infinity of possible shapes through interaction with objects. After general considerations on the change of paradigm in grasp planning that this setting brings about with respect to classical rigid multi-dof grasp planning, we present a procedure to extract grasp affordances for the Pisa/IIT SoftHand through physically accurate numerical simulations. The selected grasps are then successfully tested in an experimental scenario.

}, keywords = {Haptics, Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/HUMANOIDS.2014.7041421}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=7041421\&queryText\%3DGrasping+with+Soft+Hands}, author = {M. Bonilla and E. Farnioli and C. Piazza and M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and M. Garabini and M Gabiccini and A. Bicchi} } @conference {1188, title = {Adaptive Synergies for a Humanoid Robot Hand}, booktitle = {IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots}, year = {2012}, note = {

Best Paper Award

}, pages = {7-14}, address = {Osaka, Japan}, keywords = {Robotics}, author = {M. G. Catalano and G. Grioli and A. Serio and E. Farnioli and C. Piazza and A. Bicchi} }