News
19/01/24: Video on our research activities coming soon!
We had a video recording session about our research activities and looking forward to seeing and sharing the final product.. stay tuned!
18/1/24: Our research in the News
We made to the German Press! Our research on artificial hand control is presented in the medicine outlook 2024 of SUPERillu
18/12/23: Jona Zürlein - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Jona Zürlein, who designed a robotic foot during his MSc. Thesis, co-supervised with Prof. Caccamo. He developed a prototype for a soft prosthetic foot that can adapt to uneven terrain, support forward motion and absorb impact forces. As the holiday season approaches, we took a moment to celebrate and express our gratitude for the support of our fantastic team and collaborators throughout the year.
04/12/23: We are in the TUM News!
Many thanks to Andreas Schmitz from the Corporate Communications Center of the Technical Univeristy of Munich for the interview and this article regarding our research activities. Please read the full article here.
27/10/23: Oscar Amo - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Oscar Amo, who designed a framework for robotic grasping during his MSc. Thesis, co-supervised with Prof. Caccamo. He conducted a comparative analysis of grasping outcomes achieved by a dexterous soft hand and a parallel-plate gripper, assessing whether the hand’s dexterity enhances the grasping performance with household objects.
13/10/23: Joana Matos - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Joana Matos, visiting student from University of Porto, who conducted her Master thesis at our Chair within the Erasmus+ Program. She developed a shared automomy control strategy for myoeletric upper limb prostheses, where the user is responsible for the initially grasping of the object, while a low-level closed-loop controller ensures stability throughout the task.
10/10/23: Workshop on Neuromorphic Engineering @TUM
Our team participated in the two-day workshop on Neuromorphic Computing at TUM, with inspiring talks and amazing speakers. Johanna Happold and Theophil Spiegeler had the opportunity to present their recent works and we had the pleasure to host one of the lab tours.
New Paper Published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI
In our recent paper we introduce 6IMPOSE, a novel framework for sim-to-real data generation and 6D pose estimation. 6IMPOSE consists of four modules: First, a data generation pipeline that employs the 3D software suite Blender to create synthetic RGBD image datasets with 6D pose annotations. Second, an annotated RGBD dataset of five household objects was generated using the proposed pipeline. Third, a real-time two-stage 6D pose estimation approach that integrates the object detector YOLO-V4 and a streamlined, real-time version of the 6D pose estimation algorithm PVN3D optimized for time-sensitive robotics applications. Fourth, a codebase designed to facilitate the integration of the vision system into a robotic grasping experiment. Our paper is part of Research Topic on Applications of AI in Autonomous, Surveillance and Robotic Systems in Frontiers in Robotics and AI:
- Cao H., Dirnberger L., Bernardini D., Piazza C., Caccamo M. (2023). 6IMPOSE: Bridging the Reality Gap in 6D Pose Estimation for Robotic Grasping, Frontiers in Robotics and AI. [more info]
05/10/2023: IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
Our full-day workshop on "Learning Meets Model-based Methods for Manipulation and Grasping" at IROS 2023 has been a success! We had the pleasure to host talks by many outstanding invited speakers in the research field of grasping and manipulation. More information here
24/09/2023: IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR)
We're excited to share the success of our team at IEEE ICORR 2023, where we contributed with one workshop and two papers. Prof. Piazza and Dr. Capsi Morales organized a workshop in collaboration with Prof. Dario Farina from ICL on "Natural interfacing and embodiment of assistive and rehabilitation technologies". The workshop brought together expert from academia and industry, to explore the latest advancements and discuss open challanges in our shared field. Moreover, King Chun Tse presented his work during the oral session and Theophil Spiegeler during the poster session. Check the full papers here:
- Tse K. C., Capsi-Morales P., Spiegeler Castañeda T., Piazza C. (2023). Exploring Muscle Synergies for Performance Enhancement and Learning in Myoelectric Control Maps, IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR 2023). [more info]
- Spiegeler Castañeda T., Matos J., Capsi-Morales P., Piazza C. (2023). Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Normal and Shear Forces During Grasping, Manipulation and Social Activities, IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR 2023). [more info]
20-21/09/2023: Human-Friendly Robotics 2023 in Munich
The 16th edition of Human Friendly Robotics in Munich has been a great success! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of Human Friendly Robotics 2023 – our outstanding speakers, great sponsors, attendees, and the incredible organizing team.
08/09/23: Fitri Adiputri - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Fitri Adiputri, who investigated signal decomposition techniques to extract motor unit spike trains from high-density surface electromyography (sEMG) signals. Her work focused on understanding how different hand movements affect the characteristics of extracted motor units, providing valuable insights for prosthesis control by amputees.
New Paper Published in IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN)
Our recent paper published in IEEE ROMAN explores the intersection of functional performance and cognitive demand in myoelectric control training within an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment. Our study, conducted with 10 able-bodied participants, investigates the correlation between functional performance and cognitive demand in a virtual training environment mimicking daily activities. Interest? Check the full manuscript:
- Issa M., Spiegeler Castañeda T., Capsi-Morales P., Piazza C. (2023). Motor-Cognitive Effects of Virtual Reality Myoelectric Control Training, IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN 2023). [more info]
New Paper Published in PLOSONE
Our new journal paper offers a comprehensive overview of upper limb prostheses, gathering insights from participants in the Cybathlon Powered Arm Prostheses Races of 2016 and 2020. We analyzed and evaluated the performance of different prosthetic devices across tasks inspired by daily activities through a standard functional assessment, the Assessment of Capacity for Myoelectric Control (ACMC). Our paper is published in Plos One:
- Capsi-Morales P., Piazza C., Sjoberg L., Catalano M. G., Grioli G., Bicchi A., Hermansson L. (2023). Functional Assessment of Current Upper Limb Prostheses: An Integrated Clinical and Technological Perspective, PLOS ONE. [more info]
02/08/23: Ali Bou Orm and Mohamad Issa - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Ali Bou Orm and Mohamad Issa on the successful completion of their MSc. Thesis at our Chair. Ali designed and developed a system for multi-modal haptic feedback delivery, while Mohamad worked on a virtual reality environment to evaluate motor and cognitive effects of myoelectric control training.
New Paper Published in Journal of Multimodal Technologies and Interaction
While technological advancements have advanced functionality of upper limb prostheses, our latest journal paper fills a critical gap by examining the broader societal perspective on bionic limbs. We explored the emotional responses of observers and analyze the impact of design factors on trust and usability. Our paper is part of a Special Collection in the Journal of Multimodal Technologies and Interaction:
- Schoett S., Capsi-Morales P., Villa S., Butz A., Piazza C. (2023). Would you hold my hand? Exploring External User’s Perception of Artificial Hands, Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, Special Issue on Challenges in Human-Centered Robotics. [more info]
10/07/2023: IEEE World Haptics Conference
Exciting news from the IEEE World Haptics Conference! Johanna Happold and Dr. Patricia Capsi Morales presented their recent work during the poster session. Check our contributions:
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Capsi-Morales P., Happold J., Kozielski K., Piazza C. (2023). Towards enhanced rehabilitation experience combining somatosensory cortex stimulation and immersive virtual reality. IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC). [more info]
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Bou Orm A., Bettelani G.C., Capsi-Morales P., Zavaglia M., Haddadin S., Piazza C. (2023). Multi-Modal Haptic Feedback Device for Upper-Limb Prostheses. IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC). [more info]
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Gross S., Obwegs L., Li J., Spiegeler Castañeda T., Ganguly A., Piazza C., Haddadin S. (2023). Transforming Tactile Interfaces: Tri-Axis Force Sensor for Sensory Signal Processing. IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC). [more info]
27/06/2023: Showcasing Our Latest Breakthroughs at Automatica 2023!
We had the opportunity to share our research in the field of rehabilitation robotics at Automatica 23. A heartfelt thank you to all who visited, shared insights, and engaged in discussions. It was a great honor to present our latest research finidings to Science Minister Markus Blume, Prof. Sami Haddadin and TUM President Thomas Hofmann. More information here
06/06/23: Uzair Tajuddin - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Uzair Tajuddin, who explored how gamification can improve the rehabilitation process of integrating an upper limb prosthesis during his MSc. Thesis. He worked on a game design that can enhance myoelectric control learning and evaluate user sense of agency.
29/05/2023: IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
It's been a fantastic week in London, discovering the latest breakthroughs, research, and projects tat ICRA 2023! Prof. Cristina Piazza and Dr. Patricia Capsi presented our last research results during the poster session. It was also great meeting and reconnecting with colleagues and friends.
New Paper Published in Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems
Check our latest paper! In this work, we explore how CYBATHLON, since 2016, has sparked innovation in assistive technology, prioritizing end users' needs. Our paper delves into the competition's role in inspiring teams to actively involve end users in the development process, ensuring technology meets the daily-life needs of those who rely on it. Our paper is published in Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems:
- Jaeger L., Baptista R., Basla C., Capsi-Morales P., Kim Y. K., Nakajima S., Piazza C., Sommerhalder M., Tonin L., Valle G., Riener R. (2023). How the CYBATHLON competition has advanced assistive technologies in the last six years, Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomus Systems. [more info]
Human-Friendly Robotics will be in Munich in September!
We are delighted to announce and invite you all to participate and submit a contribution to the 16th International Workshop on Human-Friendly Robotics (HFR) to be held on September 20-21 in Munich, Germany.
Please find more information on our website: https://sites.google.com/view/hfr2023/home
You can participate with two types of submissions: extended abstracts (no proceedings) and regular papers (Indexed with proceedings).
17/04/23: First Team Retreat
Wonderful lab trip to Burghausen! We had our first team retreat at the TUM Science & Study Center Raitenhaslach, with interesting discussions about future research projects and ideas.
New Paper Published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Interested in human-centered design approaches? Discover the successfull participation of the SoftHand Pro Team at the Cybathlon Powered Arm Prostheses race in 2016 and 2020. Our new paper describes how the real-world experience of the Cybathlon competition has driven the evolution of our system. Our paper is part of a Special Collection in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation:
- Capsi-Morales P., Piazza C., Catalano M. G., Grioli G., Bicchi A. (2023). The SoftHand Pro platform: a flexible prosthesis with a user-centered approach. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 20.1, 1-17. [more info]
14/04/23: King Chun Tse - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to King Chun Tse, who investigated the performance and learning process of myoelectric synergistic control for his MSc. Thesis. He developed two type of control mapping, intuitive and non-intuitive, using high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) sensors.
03/04/23: IEEE RoboSoft 2023
Prof. Piazza was invited speaker and presented the chair's latest research at Workshop "Towards sustainable solutions: The design, application, and future of soft robotics in health care and rehabilitation applications" for the conference IEEE RoboSoft2023 in Singapore. Many thanks to the organizers for the fruitfull workshop and guided tour at the Singapore-ETH Center!
23/02/23: Joana Matos and Matthieu Chevassut - Internship final presentation
Congratulations to Joana Matos and Matthieu Chevassut on the successful completion of their internship work at our Chair. During their time here, Joana worked on the development of sensors for the analysis of human grasping, while Matthieu focused on the design of artificial fingers based on soft robotics technologies.
23/02/23: Thomas Geier - MSc. Thesis final presentation
Congratulation to Thomas Geier, who worked on the development and psychometric evaluation of an immersive and myoelectrically controlled virtual reality-based mirror therapy for his MSc. Thesis. This work, which was conducted in collaboration between the Chair of Healthcare and Rehabilitation Robotics (Prof. Dr. Cristina Piazza) and the Department of Sport and Health Sciences (Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer), explores the potential of virtual reality technology to assist with upper limb rehabilitation.
8-10/02/23: TUM-ICL Global Funding and UCL visit
Thanks to the TUM Global Funding project, we had the opportunity to travel to London and connect with colleagues at ICL and UCL. We are delighted to share that our recent visit was a great success! Not only we had the opportunity to exchange ideas and insights with these esteemed colleagues, but we also had the chance to visit their labs and see their impressive facilities and technologies. We are excited about the potential for future collaborations with these esteemed institutions, and we look forward to exploring ways to work together.
21/01/23: Skiing Trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Our lab took a well-deserved break from our research activities and embarked on a skiing trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The trip was an opportunity to strengthen our team and to have some fun together outside of the lab. Beside the stunning mountain views and fresh alpine air, we enjoyed the thrill of skiing and snowboarding together. We are grateful to all the students who joined!
19-22/10/22: EU-US Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) 2022 symposium
It's been a great honor that our chair was part of the EU-US Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) 2022 symposium in Bled, Slovenia. Prof. Cristina Piazza and Dr. Patricia Capsi were invited as highly accomplished early-career engineers for the selected topic: Prosthetics and AI. Cristina was a keynote speaker and both presented their work in the poster session. Many thanks to the National Academy of Engineering and collaborators for organizing such a wonderful event!
7/10/22: Dr. Patricia Capsi Morales wins the IEEE-ABB Award!
Dr. Patricia Capsi Morales, Senior Researcher at our Chair, was awarded the IEEE Italy section 2022 PhD Thesis Award on Challenges for Energy and Industry - Technology for her impressive PhD thesis work (conducted at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and University of Pisa). Her work has been published in several top-ranked journals, conference proceedings, and patents. Her achievements have also led to visiting research positions at international institutions (ICL and ASU) and ongoing scientific collaborations. Her thesis presents an especially satisfying work with a combination of science/design/clinical testing, which reinforces the importance of multidisciplinary work for transferring robotics into real bionic solutions tested by real users. Moreover, she contributed to the very successful participation of the SoftHand Pro Team at the Cybathlon 2020, where they won the silver medal.
27/07/22: Best Poster Award @DemoDay 2022
Our team Prosthetics won the best poster award @DemoDay 2022! Congratulations to our students Julia Veloso and Andrea Weiller, currently working at our chair on Master and Bachelor thesis, respectively.
30/05/22: Veronika Spieker wins the MedtecLIVE Talent Award 2022
As part of her M.Sc. in Medical Technologies at TUM, Veronika Spieker conducted her master thesis on the design, implementation and experimental validation of a multi-modal myoelectric control for upper-limb prostheses. The work was supervised by Prof. Piazza, Prof. Haddadin and Dr. Ganguly. The MedtecLIVE Talent Award is supported by a top-class jury consisting of representatives from industry and research. Learn more about her story and her work.
Congratulations Veronika!