@article {4318, title = {Comparison between rigid and soft poly-articulated prosthetic hands in non-expert myo-electric users shows advantages of soft robotics.}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {12/2021}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Notwithstanding the advancement of modern bionic hands and the large variety of prosthetic hands in the market, commercial devices still present limited acceptance and percentage of daily use. While commercial prostheses present rigid mechanical structures, emerging trends in the design of robotic hands are moving towards soft technologies. Although this approach is inspired by nature and could be promising for prosthetic applications, there is scant literature concerning its benefits for end-users and in real-life scenarios. In this work, we evaluate and assess the role and the benefits of soft robotic technologies in the field of prosthetics. We propose a thorough comparison between rigid and soft characteristics of two poly-articulated hands in 5 non-expert myo-electric prosthesis users in pre- and post-therapeutic training conditions. The protocol includes two standard functional assessments, three surveys for user-perception, and three customized tests to evaluate the sense of embodiment. Results highlight that rigid hands provide a more precise grasp, while soft properties show higher functionalities thanks to their adaptability to different requirements, intuitive use and more natural execution of activities of daily living. This comprehensive evaluation suggests that softness could also promote a quick integration of the system in non-expert users.

}, isbn = {ISSN 2045-2322}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02562-y}, url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02562-y}, author = {Capsi-Morales, Patricia and Piazza, Cristina and Catalano, Manuel G. and Grioli, Giorgio and Schiavon, Lisa and Fiaschi, Elena and Bicchi, Antonio} } @conference {4320, title = {Towards a Myoelectric Prosthetic Wrist with Rigid and Compliant Behaviour}, booktitle = {International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation}, year = {2020}, month = {10/2020}, pages = {489-493}, abstract = {

The simple kinematics of commercial prosthetic wrists limits the individuals in performing a wide range of tasks and restore natural motor functions. We propose a functional prosthesis that improves grasping capabilities through the addition of a simple yet useful 3 DoF myoelectric wrist joint with compliant and rigid properties. Its locking capability enables the adjustment of hand configuration in pre-grasping phases and separates the hand motion from the wrist motion. The proposed wrist, combined with a prosthetic hand, was tested with 8 able-bodied subjects and 1 subject with limb loss. It was compared to a common commercial rotational wrist and to subjects{\textquoteright} natural wrist. Results evidence the feasibility of the prototype, improved performance capabilities, and the subjects{\textquoteright} first impression about the proposed system. Finally, a prosthesis user tested and compared systems during Activities of Daily Living (ADL).

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70316-5_78}, url = {https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-70316-5_78}, author = {Capsi-Morales, Patricia and Piazza, Cristina and Grioli, Giorgio and Bicchi, Antonio and Catalano, Manuel G.} } @conference {4319, title = {Towards More Natural Transradial Bionic Limbs}, booktitle = {I-RIM}, year = {2020}, month = {12/2020}, abstract = {

Based on previous experience with prosthesis users and literature, this paper introduces three important aspects to further develop functional transradial myoelectric prostheses: stiffness modulation, grasp reliability and limb dexterity. In particular, we propose three possible solutions and discuss on the insights observed about the exploration of impedance control in prosthetic hands during Activities of Daily Living and social interaction, the introduction of an articulated palm to increase all hand parts contribution in grasping, and a compact 3 DoF myoelectric wrist capable to switch from compliant to rigid properties during pre-grasping phase to decrease compensatory movements and favour more natural body postures in prosthesis users.

}, keywords = {Bionic Limbs, Myoelectric control, Soft-robotics, Upper-limb prostheses}, url = {https://i-rim.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/I-RIM_2020_paper_144.pdf}, author = {Capsi-Morales, Patricia and Catalano, Manuel G. and Grioli, Giorgio and Piazza, Cristina and Bicchi, Antonio} } @article {3760, title = {Unifying bilateral teleoperation and tele-impedance for enhanced user experience}, journal = {International Journal of Robotics Research}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {

Usability is one of the most important aspects of teleoperation. Ideally, the operator{\textquoteright}s experience should be one of complete command over the remote environment, but also be as close as possible to what s/he would have if physically present at the remote end - i.e. transparency in terms of both action and perception. These two aspects may coincide in favorable conditions, where classic approaches such as the four-channel architecture ensures transparency of the control framework. In presence of substantial delays between the user and the slave, however, the stability-performance trade-off inherent to bilateral teleoperation deteriorates not only transparency, but also command. An alternative, unilateral approach is given by tele-impedance, which controls the slave-environment interaction by measuring and remotely replicating the user{\textquoteright}s limb endpoint position and impedance. Not including force feedback to the operator, tele-impedance is absolutely robust to delays, while it completely lacks transparency.

This paper introduces a novel control framework which integrates a new, fully transparent, two-channel bilateral architecture with the tele-impedance paradigm. The result is a unified solution that mitigates problems of classical approaches, and provides the user with additional tools to modulate the slave robot{\textquoteright}s physical interaction behavior, resulting in a better operator experience in spite of time inconsistencies. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed solution is demonstrated in terms of performance in the interaction tasks, of user fatigue and overall experience.

}, keywords = {bilateral, stability, Teleoperation, transparency, usability}, doi = {10.1177/0278364919891773}, url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0278364919891773}, author = {Laghi, Marco and Ajoudani, Arash and Catalano, Manuel G. and Bicchi, Antonio} }