Artificial and augmented sensing for humans and humanoids
18 - 22 July 2022, Genova (Italy)
Summer School finished
Thanks for all



Platinum Sponsors

University of Genova

About The Event

Brief description


The NeuroEngineering School, pioneered by Prof. M. Grattarola in 2000 with the First European School of Neuroengineering, was offered in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2012 and 2018. This edition will focus on perception and on how it influences human movements and robot control. Specifically, the focus will be on how the somatosensory system and its artificial analogues process and integrate movement, force and tactile information.


Objectives


The NeuroEngineering School aims to introduce PhD students and post-docs from different backgrounds (engineering, life sciences, physics) to the basis of human somatosensation and the computational and technological methods to integrate sensing in robots.  The first two days will provide an overview of somatosensory process mechanisms at the physical, behavioural, biomechanical, and neural level, including implications for motor control and learning. 
Then we will provide the basis for understanding the artificial tactile-proprioceptive sensing and feedback.The following three days will develop this topic in three translational fields: (1) neurorehabilitation (2) prosthetics and sensory restoration; (3) robotics: humanoids and robot-assisted surgery. 


Description


The NeuroEngineering School will take place from 18th to 22nd July 2022.  The activities will include plenary lectures by internationally recognized experts operating at the interface between Neuroscience, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Participants will then be divided in focused discussion groups, whose activities will include hands on computational and laboratory activities.

We will organize poster sessions for the PhD students attending the school, during which they will present their research in an interactive form. An award committee will select the best poster based both on the quality of the work and the presentation.
Finally, we will also offer exhibition opportunities for the companies working in these fields, which will present their technologies for all the duration of the school.

Who's Speaking?

Tamar Makin
Tamar MakinCognitive Neuroscience University College Londont.makin(AT)ucl.ac.uk
    Marco Controzzi
    Marco ControzziScuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisamarco.controzzi(AT)santannapisa.it
      Lorenzo Natale
      Lorenzo NataleIIT Humanoid Sensing and Perception - Genovalorenzo.natale(AT)iit.it
         Cheng Gordon
        Cheng Gordon TUM – Technical University of Munichgordon(AT)tum.de
          Anthony Jarc
          Anthony JarcIntuitive Anthony.Jarc(AT)intusurg.com
            Antonio Bicchi
            Antonio BicchiResearch Center E. Piaggio (University of Pisa)antonio.bicchi(AT)unipi.it
              Vincent Hayward
              Vincent HaywardInstitut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotiquehayward(AT)isir.upmc.fr
                Giacomo Valle
                Giacomo ValleD. Gesundheitswissenschaften und Technologie giacomo.valle(AT)hest.ethz.ch
                  Francesco Nori
                  Francesco NoriHead of Robotics Lab - DeepMind Google UKfnori(AT)google.com
                    Pietro Avanzini
                    Pietro AvanziniIstituto di Neuroscienze - CNRpietro.avanzini(AT)cnr.it
                      Stanisa Raspopovic
                      Stanisa RaspopovicD. Gesundheitswissenschaften und Technologie stanisa.raspopovic(AT)hest.ethz.ch
                        Giorgio Metta
                        Giorgio MettaIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)giorgio.metta(AT)iit.it
                          Monica Gori
                          Monica GoriUnit for Visually Impaired People - IITmonica.gori(AT)iit.it
                            Lorenzo Masia
                            Lorenzo MasiaHeidelberg University/IITlorenzo.masia(AT)ziti.uni-heidelberg.de
                              Giulio Dagnino
                              Giulio DagninoUniversity of Twenteg.dagnino(AT)utwente.nl
                                Stephen Scott
                                Stephen ScottDep. of Biomedical, Molecular Sciences (Queen's University)steve.scott(AT)queensu.ca
                                  Alessandra Sciutti
                                  Alessandra SciuttiIIT Central Research Labs Genovaalessandra.sciutti(AT)iit.it
                                    Matilde Inglese
                                    Matilde IngleseDINOGMI (University of Genova)m.inglese(AT)unige.it
                                      Alessandro Moscatelli
                                      Alessandro MoscatelliSanta Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy.alessandro.moscatelli(AT)uniroma2.it
                                        Luca Brayda
                                        Luca BraydaNextage srlluca.brayda(AT)nextage-on.com

                                        Partners

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                                        Speakers Lineup

                                        11.00 - 13.30
                                        Lobby

                                        Registration

                                        Registration

                                        13.30 - 14.00
                                        Hall

                                        Opening of the School

                                        Welcome Address - Presentation of the School

                                        14.00 - 14.50
                                        Hall

                                        Neuroscience-inspired Soft Robotics Technologies for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation.

                                        Robotics has gone through a transformation in the last decade. A  transition from traditional, heavy industrial robots to safe, light,  nimble co-bots which can co-exist and co-operate with humans, entering  in touch with them. To do so, robots have become lighter, smaller, softer, and more intelligent.
                                        The technological revolution of soft, intelligent machines today is  spilling over from robotics to bionics.  Not only soft technologies  are safer, more effective and more adaptive: they can be above all  more natural, as their motion and interaction patterns are dictated by  similar principles as those moving our own human limbs. In the near  future, users will be able to include soft bionic devices into their  body schema, sending inputs and receiving feedback which match our  inner model of interaction with the outside world.
                                        I will discuss several instances of application of these new ideas to  robotic-aided rehabilitation, from prosthetics to assistance in upper  motor neuron syndrome

                                        Prof. Antonio Bicchi
                                        14.50 - 15.40
                                        Hall

                                        When timing matters: from intracerebral recordings to a 4D-representation of somatosensory processing

                                        A fine-grained description of the spatiotemporal dynamics of human brain activity is a major goal of neuroscientific research. Limitations in spatial and temporal resolution of available non-invasive recording and imaging techniques have hindered so far the acquisition of precise, comprehensive four-dimensional maps of human neural activity. Only recently, the access to intracerebral recordings and the estimation of gamma rhythms’ reactivity opened to the possibility of a four-dimensional mapping of brain activity.

                                        Prof. Pietro Avanzini
                                        15.40 - 16.00
                                        Lobby

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break/ Networking

                                        16.30 - 19.00
                                        Hall

                                        Laboratory activities - Data Science for Psychophysical Data with R

                                        Practical activities (1st session)

                                        Psychophysical methods are widely used across different scientific communities to model the relation between a physical property of a stimulus and its perceptual representation provided by the senses. By means of psychophysical experiments it is possible to study basic sensory processes and assess the performance of an observer interacting with technological devices. Such methods can also help establish quantitative criteria for evaluating and designing novel technology. The results of a psychophysical experiment are typically analyzed by fitting a psychometric function to each observer and then performing a second-level model for inferential statistics. Yet recent studies have shown that modeling data at the population level by means of Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) also has many advantages, specifically in terms of a better estimation of goodness of fit and of a higher statistical power. In this lecture and in the associated laboratory activity I will show you how to use the open-source statistical software R for processing and analyzing typical psychophysical data, using popular R libraries such as Tidyverse and lme4 together with our package MixedPsy.
                                         
                                        Tentative Schedule
                                        Lecture 16:00 - 17:00
                                        • examples of experimental paradigms
                                        • psychometric functions and GLMM
                                        • Bayesian methods in psychophysics
                                        Lab 17:00 - 18:30
                                        • R, Python, and friends
                                        • Introduction to R packages: Tidyverse, lme4, Mixedpsy
                                        • Data Tidying
                                        • Modelling
                                        • Plotting
                                        • Communicating the results with RMarkdown
                                        • Bonus track: interfacing R and Python with reticulate
                                        Suggested reading
                                        1. Moscatelli, A., Mezzetti, M., & Lacquaniti, F. (2012). Modeling psychophysical data at the population-level: the generalized linear mixed model. Journal of vision, 12(11), 26-26.
                                        2. Rohde, M., van Dam, L. C., & Ernst, M. O. (2016). Statistically optimal multisensory cue integration: a practical tutorial. Multisensory research, 29(4-5), 279-317.
                                        3. Wickham, H., & Grolemund, G. (2016). R for data science: import, tidy, transform, visualize, and model data. "O'Reilly Media, Inc.".

                                        Prof. Alessandro Moscatelli
                                        19.00- 21:00
                                        Lobby

                                        Welcome cocktail

                                        9.00 - 9.50
                                        Hall

                                        Use of robots to study sensorimotor function and dysfunction

                                        There are several technologies that can be used to measure body movement, from accelerometers to video-based motor capture. However, robotic technologies, either grasped by a subject or directly attached to the limb, have an additional advantage in that they can apply loads to disturb body motion allowing us to probe properties of the motor system by observing how it responds to these unexpected disturbances. I will highlight how we use robotic technology (guided by advanced control theory) to quantify how humans can generate complex goal-directed motor corrections in as little as 60ms, as well as complementary studies in non-human primates that demonstrate how frontoparietal circuits support this fast feedback process. As well, will also describe our clinical studies that use this same robotic platform to quantify sensory, motor and cognitive impairments associated with a variety of neurological injuries and disease. In particular, I will describe how stroke commonly impairs the ability of individuals to use sensory information to generate rapid goal-directed motor corrections. 

                                        Prof. Stephen Scott
                                        9.50 - 10.40
                                        Hall

                                        Multisensory development and sensory rehabilitation devices based on haptic, visual, and audio signals.

                                        In every interaction with the environment, our brain integrates sensory information from the outside. Recent studies have shown that multisensory integration improves estimation accuracy by fostering perception and interaction with the environment. In this presentation, I will show i) the methods to study multisensory processing and the models to predict outcomes ii) how to use these scientific findings to design new technologies for rehabilitation, learning and game. I will focus on audio, visual and tactile processing and the sensory-motor interactions considering children and adults with and without sensory impairment. In particular, I will give you an overview of the main results from recent studies investigating tactile and visual-tactile audio perception abilities in children and adults with and without visual disabilities and the benefit provided by sensory-motor feedback at the behavioral and cortical level on sensory impaired individuals. 

                                        Prof. Monica Gori
                                        10.40 - 11.10
                                        Lobby

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break/Networking

                                        11.10 - 12.00
                                        Hall

                                        Innovative methods for measuring the neural correlates of proprioception in multiple sclerosis

                                        Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory/demyelinating neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects young adults and that leads to the degradation of myelin and neuronal loss with consequent irreversible disability. Proprioception is the individual’s ability to integrate multiple sensory signals from mechanoreceptors in the periphery to determine body segment positions and movements in space. Deficits of proprioception occur in the early stages of MS and are quite frequent. However, objectively quantifying proprioceptive deficits is challenging and further complicated when attempting to identify neural correlates with neuroimaging techniques.
                                        This limitation makes it difficult to identify crucial neural markers that can be used to assess the efficacy of interventions aimed at improving proprioception in people with MS. Therefore, there is a need for innovative ways of assessing the neural correlates of proprioception to understand how the pathological processes underlying MS affects these neural processes.
                                        Sensorimotor tasks, such as the joint position matching task, rely on intricate communication between multiple areas of the CNS. To perform these movements effectively, sensory afferents must be relayed to various areas of the brain to generate appropriate neural and behavioral responses
                                        Our group and others have shown the importance of the link between cognitive and motor processes in many sensorimotor tasks as well as the importance of microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum in bipedal and bimanual tasks. A better understanding of how the functional and neural components of proprioception are affected by chronic neurodegenerative disease like MS is needed to better inform rehabilitative practices, which may ultimately lead to the improvement of mobility outcomes and quality of life in patients with MS.

                                        Prof. Matilde Inglese
                                        12.00 - 13.00
                                        Hall

                                        Poster section

                                        Poster section/Networking

                                        13.00 - 14.00
                                        Hall /Lobby

                                        Poster section/Lunch Networking

                                        Poster section/Lunch 

                                        14.00-14.50

                                        Symbiotic Control of Wearable Soft Suits for human motion assistance and augmentation

                                        Soft wearable exosuits have been introduced in the last decade as possible candidates to overcome the limitations from devices using rigid structures: the exoskeletons.
                                        Despite the Exosuits initially promised tangible improvements, yet their soft wearable architecture presents strong drawbacks, placing this technology more in a complementary position rather than on a higher step of the podium respect to their predecessors.
                                        Motivations can be found in their soft structure which not only undershoots in terms of assistance delivery respect to the exoskeletons, but also introduces non-linear dynamic behaviours making difficult the formalization of a robust control implementation and substantially hampering the matching with the wearer´s biomechanics.
                                        During my speech I will introduce the progress from our research on soft wearable exosuits, by presenting novel solutions on mechanical design, novel implementation of control strategies based n machine learning to master the non-linear behaviours.  I will discuss in details how using biosignals by means of a realtime techniques based on musculoskeletal dynamics to provide a symbiotic interface between the exosuit and the user and compared such a solution with a classical control approaches.

                                        Prof. Lorenzo Masia
                                        14.50 - 15.40
                                        Hall

                                        Increasing spatial awareness with touch: technologies and challenges

                                        Tactile maps and graphics have been around for decades. However, they have been mostly confined to rehabilitation settings, with substantial portability issues that prevent daily use. The touch-screen era has increased the digital divide of people with weak or absent vision, paradoxically introducing tactile sensors technologies that are not accompanied by actuation systems. Visually impaired persons are therefore locked-out from most modern computer-human interfaces. Of the two main requirements of people with low vision (communication and mobility), the second has been practically completely overlooked by the industry.
                                        We propose a few novel techniques that can offer bidimensional and three-dimensional representations of space, as a support for learning cognitive maps and to speed-up orientation and mobility training sessions. They exploit mechanisms that are simple to understand and that we tested on several groups of blind persons. We show that they could be useful in teaching basic geometrical and spatial concepts, directly connected to school-based learning and daily use.

                                        Luca Brayda
                                        15.40 - 19.00
                                        Hall

                                        Practical activities

                                        1. Vision-Based Haptic Guidance in Robot-Assisted Endovascular Applications
                                        2. Restoring haptic perception in a soft underactuated hand prosthesis: modality matching and somatotopic matching approaches for information sensing and feedback
                                        3. Proprioceptive assessment and sensory enhancement

                                        16.30 - 17.00
                                        Lobby

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break/Networking

                                        9.00 - 9.50
                                        Hall

                                        Elevating surgical discovery using machine learning

                                        To be definedNovel discoveries in surgeon performance, workflow, and patient outcomes enabled by the emerging field of surgical data science offer the potential to influence many aspects of surgery. In this talk, we will discuss how machine learning is used to add clinically-meaningful context to surgical procedures. Interpretable, quantitative measures can then be built on this context-aware foundation to uncover influencers and behaviors driving variability and efficiency. We will conclude with an overview of how these novel insights are emerging in clinical research driven by academic research teams and surgical societies.

                                        Prof. Anthony Jarc
                                        9.50 - 10.40
                                        Hall

                                        Technological Embodiment: Neuroscience considerations for the future body

                                        To successfully design devices for the human body, engineers often view the body itself as the ideal design template. Similarly, for individuals missing a limb, the development of artificial prosthetic limbs often centers on embodiment as the goal: focusing device design and control on becoming more like our biological bodies. But ultimately, the success of artificial limb will critically depend on its neural representation in our brains. Importantly, neurocognitive resources might differ radically, depending on the user’s life experiences and needs. Here I will present a series of studies where we investigated the neural basis of artificial limb use for both substitution and augmentation technologies. We find that contrary to folk wisdom, the brain does not assimilate neural representations for the artificial limb with those for the biological body, creating opportunities for novel technological interfaces. Collectively, these studies suggest that although, in principle, opportunities exist for harnessing hand neural and cognitive resources to control artificial limbs, alternative non-biomimetic approaches could be also well suited for successful human-device interface.  

                                        Prof. Tamar Makin
                                        10.40 - 11.10
                                        Lobby

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break Networking

                                        11.10 - 12.00
                                        Hall

                                        Neural prostheses for sensing with bionic limbs

                                        In the recent past, several research groups are studying the fascinating and futuristic research of connecting the human nervous system with bionic limbs. Striving to close the gap between humans and machines, this research is now working to create prosthetic limbs that utilize the direct neural stimulation of the nervous system to restore sensory-motor functions lost after an injury or a disease.
                                        Decades of technological developments have populated the field of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) and neuroprosthetics with several replacement strategies, neural modulation treatments, and rehabilitation strategies to improve the patients quality of life. The neuroprostheses are implantable devices designed to replace or improve the function of a disabled part of the nervous system. The different approaches for the restoration of sensory functions through neuroprostheses based oelectrical neurostimulation will be presented.

                                        This field is now quickly expanding thanks to advances in neural interfaces, machine learning techniques, and robotics. In the next future, the neurotechnologies will continue to grow thanks also to faster and more advanced computer simulations allowing to test and validate these technologies even faster. The transformation of neurotechnologies blurs the boundaries between human and machine.

                                        Prof. Giacomo Valle
                                        12.00 - 13.00
                                        Hall

                                        Poster session

                                        Poster sessionNetworking

                                        Lunch/Networking
                                        13.00 - 14.00
                                        Lobby/Hall

                                        Lunch / Poster session

                                        Lunch / Poster session

                                        14.00 - 14.50
                                        Hall

                                        Artificial hands for action and perception: from the functional substitution to the human-robot collaboration

                                        Capturing the richness and complexity of the human body has been an ambition of many human knowledge fields, including medicine, literature, religion, philosophy, and the arts. For decades, science and engineering have tried to match the sensory and motor features of the human body, designing limbs aiming at replicating the shape and functionality of the natural counterparts. This seminar will cover a selection of research activities concerning the design and development of sensorized artificial hands to be used as thought-controlled prostheses and to be used as smart end-effectors for a new generation of robotic systems that will be able to cooperate and support humans in a wide range of activities.

                                        Prof. Marco Controzzi
                                        14.50 - 17.00

                                        Practical activities

                                        1. Vision-Based Haptic Guidance in Robot-Assisted Endovascular Applications
                                        2. Restoring haptic perception in a soft underactuated hand prosthesis: modality matching and somatotopic matching approaches for information sensing and feedback
                                        3. Proprioceptive assessment and sensory enhancement

                                        17.00 - 19.00

                                        Free Time

                                        20.00

                                        School dinner

                                        School dinner

                                        9.00 - 9.50
                                        Hall

                                        Neuroengineering Robotics - challenges and breakthroughs

                                        While the field of robotics has made substantial progress and still accelerating rapidly, in making our daily lives more productive, contributing to healthcare, industrial automation, and alike.
                                        Recent advances in robotics have come from not just standard engineering methodology, researchers are looking to the brain for inspiration and methods to realise better solutions to solve harder problems that have not been possible with classical approaches.
                                        In this presentation, I will present examples of highly complex robotic systems performing a wide variety of complex tasks and situations made by taking a neuroengineering approach.

                                        Prof. Gordon Cheng
                                        9.50 - 10.40
                                        Hall

                                        The iCub project

                                        The iCub is a humanoid robot designed to support research in embodied AI. At 104 cm tall, the iCub has the size of a five year old child. It can crawl on all fours, walk and sit up to manipulate objects. Its hands have been designed to support sophisticate manipulation skills. The iCub is distributed as Open Source following the GPL licenses and can now count on a worldwide community of enthusiastic developers. The entire design is available for download from the project’s repositories (http://www.iCub.org). More than 50 robots have been built so far. They are available in laboratories across Europe, US, Korea, Singapore, and Japan. The iCub is one of the few platforms in the world with a sensitive full-body skin to deal with the physical interaction with the environment including, possibly, people. I will present the iCub project showing how it is evolving towards fulfilling the dream of a personal humanoid in every home.

                                        Prof. Giorgio Metta
                                        10.40 - 11.10
                                        Lobby

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break/ Networking

                                        11.10 - 12.00
                                        Hall

                                        From sensing to actuation: End-to-End Research in Robotics at Deepmind.

                                        DeepMind is working on some of the world’s most complex and interesting research challenges, with the ultimate goal of solving artificial general intelligence (AGI). Within this challenge, it's fundamental to understand the role of sensorimotor loops in both biological and artificial systems. We ultimately want to develop an AGI capable of dealing with a variety of environments through robust representation of sensor information for effective motor control. A truly general AGI needs to be able to act on the real world and to learn tasks on real robots. Robotics at DeepMind aims at endowing robots with the ability to learn how to perform complex manipulation and locomotion tasks. This talk will give an introduction to DeepMind with specific focus on robotics, control or reinforcement learning.

                                        Prof, Lorenzo Nori
                                        12.00 - 13.00
                                        Hall

                                        Poster session

                                        Poster session / Networking

                                        Lunch / Networking
                                        13.00 - 14.00
                                        Lobby / Hall

                                        Lunch/Poster session

                                        Lunch/Poster session

                                        14.00 - 14.50
                                        Hall

                                        Seeing and touching objects: experiments with the iCub humanoid robot

                                        Robots can actively interact with the environment and humans using their sensory system to learn about objects and their properties. To extract structured information, however, the robot needs to be endowed with appropriate sensors, fast learning algorithms, and exploratory behavior that guide the interaction with the world.
                                        In this talk I will introduce the sensory system we developed for the iCub humanoid robot, and in particular technologies for tactile sensing. I will then revise past work in which we studied how to use visual and tactile feedback to explore unknown objects and control the interaction between the hand and the objecst for shape modelling, object discrimination and tracking. Finally, I will present recent work in which we developed fast learning algorithms for object segementation and active learning.

                                        Prof. Lorenzo Natale
                                        14.50 - 15.40
                                        Hall

                                        The sensorimotor bases of interaction with the world and with others

                                        Human understanding of the world is deeply rooted in our ability to act. The shape of our body and the possibilities of action it affords influence how we make sense of objects’ properties and other people’s actions. In the context of object perception, this becomes particularly evident in the domain of haptic exploration, where action and perception are tightly coupled. The investigation of how manipulation is optimally planned to infer the relevant features of an object leads to interesting questions on the relative role played by different senses and on the mutual adaptation of the sensory and motor components of the plan. Studying how this process develops during childhood and how it changes during an interaction or in the presence of a sensory deficit can also provide novel insights potentially useful for robot manipulation. Furthermore, the way we plan our actions has a crucial impact on understanding the properties of movements performed by others. We differently move when we are aggressive or kind, and our brain detects the same modulations in someone else, making us sensitive to the “style” of an action. Interestingly, this happens both when the interaction is mediated by vision and performed through a physical exchange of forces. By intuitively sensing the regularities of action “style”, we modify our anticipation skills, e.g., when predicting action timing and our behavior, which automatically aligns with the partner in human-human and human-robot interactions. Understanding the sensorimotor bases of human ability to interact is a crucial step toward developing cognitive robots, able to perceive the world “through the eyes (and hands) of a human” and hence better at establishing mutual understanding and effective collaboration.

                                        Prof. Alessandra Sciutti
                                        15.40 - 19.00
                                        Hall

                                        Practical activities

                                        1. Vision-Based Haptic Guidance in Robot-Assisted Endovascular Applications
                                        2. Restoring haptic perception in a soft underactuated hand prosthesis: modality matching and somatotopic matching approaches for information sensing and feedback
                                        3. Proprioceptive assessment and sensory enhancement

                                        16.30 - 17.00
                                        Lobby

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break Networking

                                        9.00 - 9.50
                                        Hall

                                        Connecting machines and nervous system for the functional and cognitive benefits

                                        Advances in peripheral nervous system (PNS) interfacing present a promising venue for rehabilitation of individuals with different neurological disabilities. Despite a wide range of possibilities for human-machine interfacing, among which I was participating in development of several, the nature of the optimal human-machine interaction remains poorly understood. Subjects with diabetes or lower-limb amputation frequently do not engage fully in everyday activities because they are afraid of falls. They also tend to have reduced mobility, which can induce a sedentary lifestyle that promotes disease development and hinders reinsertion into society, while the neuropathic pain is also common and poorly managed with current medications. We have pioneered a human-machine systems that translates prosthetic sensors’ read-outs into “language” understandable by the nervous system, using a detailed computational model.  A “sensing leg,” for lower- limb amputees, by connecting sensors from the prosthetic knee and under the foot to the residual PNS, transduces the readout of the sensors into stimulation parameters. The “smart orthosis” for diabetics “speaks” to their residual healthy nerves with a similar philosophy. The stimulator then injects the current into the intraneural electrodes, eliciting sensations from the missing lower limb. The whole process ran at a delay unperceivable to the user, enabling real-time neuromodulation dependent on leg status. These studies not only provided clear evidence of the benefit of neuromodulation for diabetics or lower-limb amputees but also provided insights into fundamental mechanisms of supraspinal integration of the restored sensory modalities. 

                                        Prof. Stanisa Raspopovic
                                        9.50 - 10.40
                                        Hall

                                        Student presentation

                                        Student presentation

                                        10.40 - 11.10
                                        Lawn

                                        Coffee Break

                                        Coffee Break / Networking

                                        11.10 - 12.00
                                        Hall

                                        Discussion

                                        Discussion

                                        12.00 - 13.00
                                        Hall

                                        Award and closure ceremonies

                                        Award and closure ceremonies

                                        Hall

                                        Vision-Based Haptic Guidance in Robot-Assisted Endovascular Applications

                                        Vascular diseases are one the major causes of death in the Western world. Common treatments are endovascular interventions which involve both simple surgical tasks such as incision and suturing, and complex maneuvering of pre-shaped catheters to reach target areas of the vasculature and deliver a treatment (e.g., placing a stent, treat arrythmias, deliver a drug or even artificial valves). Accurate control and precision during catheter navigation is of paramount importance to successfully complete the intervention while avoiding injuries to the patient.
                                        Robotic and computer assistance can bring significant benefits to endovascular procedures. However, most commercial systems lack of haptic feedback, so that the contact forces are not transmitted to the surgeon, preventing their acceptance and limiting the clinical usability.
                                        Also, a common approach of evaluating the interaction between tissue and catheter is related to force sensing. Intracorporal sensing considers an instrumentation of catheter tips or sections of the catheter body. However, these approaches cannot be applied to intended scenarios that make use of standard catheters due to clearance, miniaturization, and costs.
                                        Within this framework, the activity aims at showing different aspects of haptics in endovascular surgery. They include (i) creating visuo-haptic models of the skin to simulate basic surgical tasks (e.g., incision, suturing); (ii) extracting the interaction between catheter tip/body and tissue exclusively from concomitantly applied imaging (fluoroscopy) to avoid use of additional sensing and tracking technologies; (iii) rendering image-based generation of haptic forces via a haptic device to provide the operator with haptic guidance.
                                        During the practical activity, attendees will use different environments (e.g. LabView, SOFA framework), haptic devices (e.g. Geomagic Touch; Geomagic Touch X) and fluoroscopy videos (e.g., plastic and animal phantoms).

                                        Giuglio Dagnino / Serena Ricci

                                        Restoring haptic perception in a soft underactuated hand prosthesis: modality matching and somatotopic matching approaches for information sensing and feedback

                                        The restoration of the haptic perception in modern active prostheses represents an open research challenge, and several approaches focus on the development of non-invasive techniques that exploit sensory substitution through wearable haptic devices. In this lab, we will discuss and present the characteristics that an ‘’ideal’’ sensory substitution loop should have, i.e. modality matching and somatotopic matching, along with possible strategies to implement them with advanced sensing techniques and non-invasive wearable tactile systems, which can deliver proprioceptive and exteroceptive information to the user of a soft, robotic, underactuated prosthetic hand. The neuroscientific aspects that underline the design of the hand prosthesis and characterize human mechanoreceptors, together with the role of touch in motion perception, will also be considered.

                                        Matteo Bianchi/Simone Fani/Federica Barontini

                                        Proprioceptive assessment and sensory enhancement

                                        Developing tools for assessing proprioception and train different manipulation and sensory abilities are hot-topic in research. This laboratory will give an idea of different approaches in this field. In particular the students will have the chance to experience and practice different situation where proprioception and sensory feedback are challenged. The laboratory will be divided in four different modules
                                        • Proprioceptive assessment
                                        • Sensory enhancement for navigation
                                        • Motor imagery and mirror therapy
                                        • Enhanced Objects manipulations

                                        Andrea Canessa/Camilla Pierella

                                        Pricing & Registration

                                        Do you have any special needs, disabilities, and/or dietary restrictions that we may address to make your participation more enjoyable?
                                        Do not hesitate to contact us info@neuroengineering.unige.net
                                        For further information concerning your registration, please, contact only info@neuroengineering.unige.net
                                        With the UNIGE credentials you can access restricted areas of the school website (will be activated as soon as possible) for additional materials.

                                        Organizers

                                        Gabriele        Arnulfo
                                        Gabriele Arnulfo
                                        University of Genova (Dibris)
                                          Fulvio Mastrogiovanni
                                          Fulvio Mastrogiovanni
                                          University of Genova (Dibris)
                                              Camilla Pierella
                                            Camilla Pierella
                                            University of Genova (Dibris)
                                            Maura Casadio
                                            Maura Casadio
                                            University of Genova (Dibris)
                                              Andrea Canessa
                                              Andrea Canessa
                                              University of Genova (Dibris)
                                                Marco Fato
                                                Marco Fato
                                                University of Genova (Dibris)
                                                  Matteo Bianchi
                                                  Matteo Bianchi
                                                  University of Pisa
                                                    Ilana Nisky
                                                    Ilana Nisky
                                                    Ben-Gurion university
                                                      Francesco Nori
                                                      Francesco Nori
                                                      Head of Robotics Lab - DeepMind Google UK

                                                        Latest News

                                                        Jul, 2022

                                                        The IEEE Sensors Council Italy Chapter recognizes distinguished posters presented by student at the 8th International Summer School of Neuroengineering that will be held in

                                                        Jun, 2022

                                                        Movendo Technology is a biomedical company that has distinguished itself for using the most advanced robotic technology to

                                                        Jun, 2022

                                                        If you cannot attend our Summer School in person you can do it online. The cost is 100 Euros for five days. We sincerely hope you can join us!

                                                        May, 2022

                                                        The B&B Hotel Genova City Center is a design hotel strategically located close to the main points of interest in the city.  Ideal for business trips and family holidays, it is easy to reach both from

                                                        Mar, 2022

                                                        We are an international Digital & Creative company, supplying engaging and unique experiences through the combination of state-of-the-art technologies and innovative

                                                        Mar, 2022

                                                        Brain Products GmbH is a leading manufacturer of research solutions in neurophysiology, psychophysiology, BCI, behavioral and social sciences. Since

                                                        Contact

                                                        Our Address

                                                        DIBRIS
                                                        Department of Informatics, Bioengineering,
                                                        Robotics and Systems Engineering
                                                        Viale Causa 13 A - 16145 Genova GE

                                                        Location

                                                        Villa Cambiaso (Scuola Politecnica)
                                                        Via Montallegro 1

                                                        The summer school will be held 18 to 22 July 2022 at Villa Cambiaso, based of the Presidency of the Scuola Politecnica of the University of Genova, located in the district of Albaro, in Montallegro Street 1. Villa Giustiniani Cambiaso, designed by Galeazzo Alessi and built starting in 1548, is an architectural example of the "Genovese Villas" of the 16th and 17th centuries.


                                                        How to reach us

                                                        By Plane : VOLABUS is the AMT shuttle bus service departing from Cristoforo Colombo airport to Brignole and Principe Train Stations, crossing the city centre. In 30 minutes you can get the arrival terminal or the city centre by a coach fully equipped with any comfort and a big luggage van.
                                                        VOLABUS is a direct daily, comfortable service running 7 days a week, stopping at few pick up points (to airport only pick up, from airport only drop off). Alternatively, a taxi ride between the airport and the city centre costs approximately € 30-20.

                                                        By Train : The nearest train station to the Villa Cambiano is Genova Brignole. There are numerous Intercity trains from Milan Central to Genova Principe (some of them continue to Brignole), approximately one every hour. There are also Eurostar, Intercity, Frecciarossa trains from RomaTermini and Turin.

                                                        Trasportation within the city : To access Villa Cambiaso there are regular buses with stops located near the Genova Brignole Train Station. The bus stop (15 or 43) is located in Corso Buenos Aires. You need to get off at the fifth bus stop (Via Albaro), next t o the main entrance of Villa Cambiaso, in via Montallegro.In front Genova Principe Train Station, you can take any bus to the center city and, subsequently, the bus n. 15 or 43; alternatively, from Principe Train Station you can go to Genova Brignole in 5 minutes by local trains o metro.