BioRob2022

Plenary Talks

Metin Sitti, Ph.D.

Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Wireless Miniature Medical Robots inside Our Body
Ichiro Sakuma, Ph.D.

University of Tokyo

Integration of Bioscience and Robotics for Advanced Minimally Invasive Intervention
Diane Damiano, M.D.

NIH Clinical Center

Robotics for Pediatric Rehabilitation: Principles and Possibilities

Keynote Talks

Sohee Kim, Ph.D.

Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)

Man-Machine Interfacing through Soft Bioelectronic Devices
Jesus Ortiz, Ph.D.

Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)

Active exoskeletons and exosuits
James Finley, Ph.D.

University of Southern California

Learning to take advantage of assistance

Metin Sitti, Ph.D.	Wireless Miniature Medical Robots inside Our Body
	Wireless miniature medical robots have the unique capability of navigating, operating and staying inside hard-to-reach, risky, deep spaces inside our body. This talk reports our recent milli/microscale wireless miniature medical robots that could achieve various minimally invasive medical functions, such as targeted active drug delivery, neural stimulation, clot opening, liquid biopsy, biofluid pumping, cauterization, and hyperthermia. Due to miniaturization limitations on on-board actuation, powering, sensing, computing and communication, new methods need to be introduced in creating and controlling such robots. Moreover, they need to be tracked under medical imaging modalities, such as ultrasound, fluoroscopy, photoacoustic imaging, and MRI, for their precise and safe operation. 3D microprinting and assembly-based fabrication methods and multifunctional soft composites are proposed to create novel medical milli/microrobots. Soft-bodied medical miniature robot designs enable active shape programming-based adaptive, multimodal and multifunctional navigation and functions, and safe operation. External physical forces, such as magnetic fields, acoustic waves and light, are used to actuate and steer such miniature robots wirelessly as a single robot or robot collectives. These robots are aimed to save lives of more people by curing diseases not possible or hard to cure and decrease the side effects and invasiveness of disease treatments drastically in the near future.
Metin Sitti is the director of Physical Intelligence Department at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany. As side academic appointments, he is a professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Koç University, Turkey. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University (2002-2014) and a research scientist at UC Berkeley (1999-2002) in USA. He received BSc (1992) and MSc (1994) degrees in electrical and electronics engineering from Boğaziçi University, Turkey, and PhD degree in electrical engineering from University of Tokyo, Japan (1999). His research interests include small-scale mobile robotics, bio-inspiration, wireless medical robots, and physical intelligence. He is an IEEE Fellow. As selected awards, he received the Highly Cited Researcher recognition (2021), Breakthrough of the Year Award in the Falling Walls World Science Summit (2020), ERC Advanced Grant (2019,) Rahmi Koç Science Medal (2018), SPIE Nanoengineering Pioneer Award (2011), and NSF CAREER Award (2005). He received over 15 best paper and video awards in major conferences, e.g., Best Paper Award in RSS 2019. He has supervised and mentored over 67 (26 current) PhD students and 70 (18 current) postdocs, where over 45 of his group alumni are professors in around the world. He has published 2 books and over 480 peer-reviewed papers, over 340 of which have appeared in journals. These publications have been cited over 35,800 times in Google Scholar (h-index: 101). He has given over 230 invited talks, and has over 12 issued and 16 pending patents. He founded Setex Technologies Inc. in 2012 to commercialize his lab’s gecko-inspired microfiber adhesive technology, which is on the market as Setex®. He is the editor-in-chief of Progress in Biomedical Engineering and Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics and associate editor in Science Advances and Extreme Mechanics Letters journals.

Metin Sitti, Ph.D.

Wireless Miniature Medical Robots inside Our Body

Wireless miniature medical robots have the unique capability of navigating, operating and staying inside hard-to-reach, risky, deep spaces inside our body. This talk reports our recent milli/microscale wireless miniature medical robots that could achieve various minimally invasive medical functions, such as targeted active drug delivery, neural stimulation, clot opening, liquid biopsy, biofluid pumping, cauterization, and hyperthermia. Due to miniaturization limitations on on-board actuation, powering, sensing, computing and communication, new methods need to be introduced in creating and controlling such robots. Moreover, they need to be tracked under medical imaging modalities, such as ultrasound, fluoroscopy, photoacoustic imaging, and MRI, for their precise and safe operation. 3D microprinting and assembly-based fabrication methods and multifunctional soft composites are proposed to create novel medical milli/microrobots. Soft-bodied medical miniature robot designs enable active shape programming-based adaptive, multimodal and multifunctional navigation and functions, and safe operation. External physical forces, such as magnetic fields, acoustic waves and light, are used to actuate and steer such miniature robots wirelessly as a single robot or robot collectives. These robots are aimed to save lives of more people by curing diseases not possible or hard to cure and decrease the side effects and invasiveness of disease treatments drastically in the near future.

Metin Sitti is the director of Physical Intelligence Department at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany. As side academic appointments, he is a professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Koç University, Turkey. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University (2002-2014) and a research scientist at UC Berkeley (1999-2002) in USA. He received BSc (1992) and MSc (1994) degrees in electrical and electronics engineering from Boğaziçi University, Turkey, and PhD degree in electrical engineering from University of Tokyo, Japan (1999). His research interests include small-scale mobile robotics, bio-inspiration, wireless medical robots, and physical intelligence. He is an IEEE Fellow. As selected awards, he received the Highly Cited Researcher recognition (2021), Breakthrough of the Year Award in the Falling Walls World Science Summit (2020), ERC Advanced Grant (2019,) Rahmi Koç Science Medal (2018), SPIE Nanoengineering Pioneer Award (2011), and NSF CAREER Award (2005). He received over 15 best paper and video awards in major conferences, e.g., Best Paper Award in RSS 2019. He has supervised and mentored over 67 (26 current) PhD students and 70 (18 current) postdocs, where over 45 of his group alumni are professors in around the world. He has published 2 books and over 480 peer-reviewed papers, over 340 of which have appeared in journals. These publications have been cited over 35,800 times in Google Scholar (h-index: 101). He has given over 230 invited talks, and has over 12 issued and 16 pending patents. He founded Setex Technologies Inc. in 2012 to commercialize his lab’s gecko-inspired microfiber adhesive technology, which is on the market as Setex®. He is the editor-in-chief of Progress in Biomedical Engineering and Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics and associate editor in Science Advances and Extreme Mechanics Letters journals.

Metin Sitti, Ph.D.

Wireless Miniature Medical Robots inside Our Body
Wireless miniature medical robots have the unique capability of navigating, operating and staying inside hard-to-reach, risky, deep spaces inside our body. This talk reports our recent milli/microscale wireless miniature medical robots that could achieve various minimally invasive medical functions, such as targeted active drug delivery, neural stimulation, clot opening, liquid biopsy, biofluid pumping, cauterization, and hyperthermia. Due to miniaturization limitations on on-board actuation, powering, sensing, computing and communication, new methods need to be introduced in creating and controlling such robots. Moreover, they need to be tracked under medical imaging modalities, such as ultrasound, fluoroscopy, photoacoustic imaging, and MRI, for their precise and safe operation. 3D microprinting and assembly-based fabrication methods and multifunctional soft composites are proposed to create novel medical milli/microrobots. Soft-bodied medical miniature robot designs enable active shape programming-based adaptive, multimodal and multifunctional navigation and functions, and safe operation. External physical forces, such as magnetic fields, acoustic waves and light, are used to actuate and steer such miniature robots wirelessly as a single robot or robot collectives. These robots are aimed to save lives of more people by curing diseases not possible or hard to cure and decrease the side effects and invasiveness of disease treatments drastically in the near future.
Metin Sitti is the director of Physical Intelligence Department at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany. As side academic appointments, he is a professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Koç University, Turkey. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University (2002-2014) and a research scientist at UC Berkeley (1999-2002) in USA. He received BSc (1992) and MSc (1994) degrees in electrical and electronics engineering from Boğaziçi University, Turkey, and PhD degree in electrical engineering from University of Tokyo, Japan (1999). His research interests include small-scale mobile robotics, bio-inspiration, wireless medical robots, and physical intelligence. He is an IEEE Fellow. As selected awards, he received the Highly Cited Researcher recognition (2021), Breakthrough of the Year Award in the Falling Walls World Science Summit (2020), ERC Advanced Grant (2019,) Rahmi Koç Science Medal (2018), SPIE Nanoengineering Pioneer Award (2011), and NSF CAREER Award (2005). He received over 15 best paper and video awards in major conferences, e.g., Best Paper Award in RSS 2019. He has supervised and mentored over 67 (26 current) PhD students and 70 (18 current) postdocs, where over 45 of his group alumni are professors in around the world. He has published 2 books and over 480 peer-reviewed papers, over 340 of which have appeared in journals. These publications have been cited over 35,800 times in Google Scholar (h-index: 101). He has given over 230 invited talks, and has over 12 issued and 16 pending patents. He founded Setex Technologies Inc. in 2012 to commercialize his lab’s gecko-inspired microfiber adhesive technology, which is on the market as Setex®. He is the editor-in-chief of Progress in Biomedical Engineering and Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics and associate editor in Science Advances and Extreme Mechanics Letters journals.

Ichiro Sakuma, Ph.D.	Integration of Bioscience and Robotics for Advanced Minimally Invasive Intervention
	Minimally invasive therapy such as endoscopic surgery and catheter-based intervention are being spread in many surgical intervention fields. Invasiveness of the procedures has been reduced resulting in better outcomes such as improved survival, less complications, and early discharge. The application of minimally invasive procedure requires new technologies for dexterity enhancement and sensing augmentation. Engineering assistance is important to realize safe and effective minimally invasive therapy. Computer Assisted Surgical guidance such as surgical navigation is a representative technology. It is expected that application of robotic technology to minimally invasive surgery will provide the following functions: (1) Precise manipulation of biological tissues and surgical instruments in narrow and confined surgical field. (2) Precise and accurate localization and control of therapeutic devices using various pre- and intra-operative medical information. Fusion of medical bio-mechatronics, biomedical instrumentation, bioscience is required for realizing these functions. Estimation of biological response resulting from the intervention is useful to optimize surgical plan preoperatively. Intra-operatively collected data are also important in optimizing the procedure and predicting outcome. For this purpose, knowledge of biological science should be integrated with engineering knowledge for this purpose by utilizing various information technologies such as signal processing, image processing, and pattern recognition (artificial intelligence). Several examples demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach will be presented such as catheter ablation navigation and double targeting nano-medicine.
Dr. Ichiro Sakuma received B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Precision Engineering from The University of Tokyo, in 1982, 1984, and 1989 respectively. He was Research Associate from 1985 to 1987 in Department Precision Engineering in Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo. He was Research Associate, a Lecturer, and Associate Professor in School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University from 1987 to 1998. He was associate Professor from 1998 to 1999 in School of Engineering, Associate Professor from 1999 to 2001, and Professor from 2001 to 2006 in Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo. He has been a Professor in School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo since 2006. He was the Vice Dean of School of Engineering from 2014 to 2017. He has been the director of Research Institute for Biomedical Science and Engineering in the same university. His research interests include biomedical instrumentation, cardiac arrhythmias, computer-assisted intervention, and surgical robotics. He is a fellow of International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE). He is a Board Member of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering (JSMBE), and President of JSMBE from 2015 to 2016. He is an editorial board member of IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. He is a Board member of Japan Society of Computer Aided Surgery, International Society for Computer Aided Surgery, Japanese Heart Rhythm Society.

Ichiro Sakuma, Ph.D.

Integration of Bioscience and Robotics for Advanced Minimally Invasive Intervention

Minimally invasive therapy such as endoscopic surgery and catheter-based intervention are being spread in many surgical intervention fields. Invasiveness of the procedures has been reduced resulting in better outcomes such as improved survival, less complications, and early discharge. The application of minimally invasive procedure requires new technologies for dexterity enhancement and sensing augmentation. Engineering assistance is important to realize safe and effective minimally invasive therapy. Computer Assisted Surgical guidance such as surgical navigation is a representative technology. It is expected that application of robotic technology to minimally invasive surgery will provide the following functions: (1) Precise manipulation of biological tissues and surgical instruments in narrow and confined surgical field. (2) Precise and accurate localization and control of therapeutic devices using various pre- and intra-operative medical information. Fusion of medical bio-mechatronics, biomedical instrumentation, bioscience is required for realizing these functions. Estimation of biological response resulting from the intervention is useful to optimize surgical plan preoperatively. Intra-operatively collected data are also important in optimizing the procedure and predicting outcome. For this purpose, knowledge of biological science should be integrated with engineering knowledge for this purpose by utilizing various information technologies such as signal processing, image processing, and pattern recognition (artificial intelligence). Several examples demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach will be presented such as catheter ablation navigation and double targeting nano-medicine.

Dr. Ichiro Sakuma received B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Precision Engineering from The University of Tokyo, in 1982, 1984, and 1989 respectively. He was Research Associate from 1985 to 1987 in Department Precision Engineering in Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo. He was Research Associate, a Lecturer, and Associate Professor in School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University from 1987 to 1998. He was associate Professor from 1998 to 1999 in School of Engineering, Associate Professor from 1999 to 2001, and Professor from 2001 to 2006 in Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo. He has been a Professor in School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo since 2006. He was the Vice Dean of School of Engineering from 2014 to 2017. He has been the director of Research Institute for Biomedical Science and Engineering in the same university. His research interests include biomedical instrumentation, cardiac arrhythmias, computer-assisted intervention, and surgical robotics. He is a fellow of International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE). He is a Board Member of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering (JSMBE), and President of JSMBE from 2015 to 2016. He is an editorial board member of IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. He is a Board member of Japan Society of Computer Aided Surgery, International Society for Computer Aided Surgery, Japanese Heart Rhythm Society.

Ichiro Sakuma, Ph.D.

Integration of Bioscience and Robotics for Advanced Minimally Invasive Intervention
Minimally invasive therapy such as endoscopic surgery and catheter-based intervention are being spread in many surgical intervention fields. Invasiveness of the procedures has been reduced resulting in better outcomes such as improved survival, less complications, and early discharge. The application of minimally invasive procedure requires new technologies for dexterity enhancement and sensing augmentation. Engineering assistance is important to realize safe and effective minimally invasive therapy. Computer Assisted Surgical guidance such as surgical navigation is a representative technology. It is expected that application of robotic technology to minimally invasive surgery will provide the following functions: (1) Precise manipulation of biological tissues and surgical instruments in narrow and confined surgical field. (2) Precise and accurate localization and control of therapeutic devices using various pre- and intra-operative medical information. Fusion of medical bio-mechatronics, biomedical instrumentation, bioscience is required for realizing these functions. Estimation of biological response resulting from the intervention is useful to optimize surgical plan preoperatively. Intra-operatively collected data are also important in optimizing the procedure and predicting outcome. For this purpose, knowledge of biological science should be integrated with engineering knowledge for this purpose by utilizing various information technologies such as signal processing, image processing, and pattern recognition (artificial intelligence). Several examples demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach will be presented such as catheter ablation navigation and double targeting nano-medicine.
Dr. Ichiro Sakuma received B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Precision Engineering from The University of Tokyo, in 1982, 1984, and 1989 respectively. He was Research Associate from 1985 to 1987 in Department Precision Engineering in Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo. He was Research Associate, a Lecturer, and Associate Professor in School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University from 1987 to 1998. He was associate Professor from 1998 to 1999 in School of Engineering, Associate Professor from 1999 to 2001, and Professor from 2001 to 2006 in Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo. He has been a Professor in School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo since 2006. He was the Vice Dean of School of Engineering from 2014 to 2017. He has been the director of Research Institute for Biomedical Science and Engineering in the same university. His research interests include biomedical instrumentation, cardiac arrhythmias, computer-assisted intervention, and surgical robotics. He is a fellow of International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE). He is a Board Member of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering (JSMBE), and President of JSMBE from 2015 to 2016. He is an editorial board member of IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. He is a Board member of Japan Society of Computer Aided Surgery, International Society for Computer Aided Surgery, Japanese Heart Rhythm Society.

Diane Damiano, M.D.	Robotics for Pediatric Rehabilitation: Principles and Possibilities
	Development and implementation of robotic devices in pediatric Neurorehabilitation has increased dramatically in recent years. However, robotic devices for rehabilitation have not necessarily demonstrated superiority to existing therapies. At the same time, effect sizes of even the most effective current therapy approaches are modest at best. Technology advances have the potential to alter that prognosis but these must be designed based on motor learning principles. For development or restoration of motor skills which is our primary research goal, devices are not needed to assist or replace lost or absent motor abilities, but instead must progressively challenge the existing capabilities of so users so that they can ultimately perform better once the device is removed. Examples of rehabilitation robotics and other engineering technologies to train motor function from our laboratory and others will be discussed in light of the underlying physiological and neurophysiological principles of motor training. Finally, I will highlight the need for multidisciplinary teams and especially the involvement of children and families in robotic design and development.
Diane L. Damiano, PT, PhD, FAPTA is a Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland and Chief of the Neurorehabilitation and Biomechanics Research Section in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department. Her research focuses on the design and investigation of activity-based rehabilitation programs and development of robotic devices to promote optimal motor functioning and enhance muscle and neural plasticity in cerebral palsy. Her laboratory also has pioneered the use of mobile brain imaging technologies to investigate cortical activation during the emergence of motor skills in infants and children with and without cerebral palsy. She has published more than 150 scientific papers and is an Associate Editor of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. She has served as President of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (1st physical therapist in their 61 year history) and the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society. In 2016, she was selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, the highest honor in this profession.

Diane Damiano, M.D.

Robotics for Pediatric Rehabilitation: Principles and Possibilities

Development and implementation of robotic devices in pediatric Neurorehabilitation has increased dramatically in recent years. However, robotic devices for rehabilitation have not necessarily demonstrated superiority to existing therapies. At the same time, effect sizes of even the most effective current therapy approaches are modest at best. Technology advances have the potential to alter that prognosis but these must be designed based on motor learning principles. For development or restoration of motor skills which is our primary research goal, devices are not needed to assist or replace lost or absent motor abilities, but instead must progressively challenge the existing capabilities of so users so that they can ultimately perform better once the device is removed. Examples of rehabilitation robotics and other engineering technologies to train motor function from our laboratory and others will be discussed in light of the underlying physiological and neurophysiological principles of motor training. Finally, I will highlight the need for multidisciplinary teams and especially the involvement of children and families in robotic design and development.

Diane L. Damiano, PT, PhD, FAPTA is a Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland and Chief of the Neurorehabilitation and Biomechanics Research Section in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department. Her research focuses on the design and investigation of activity-based rehabilitation programs and development of robotic devices to promote optimal motor functioning and enhance muscle and neural plasticity in cerebral palsy. Her laboratory also has pioneered the use of mobile brain imaging technologies to investigate cortical activation during the emergence of motor skills in infants and children with and without cerebral palsy. She has published more than 150 scientific papers and is an Associate Editor of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. She has served as President of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (1st physical therapist in their 61 year history) and the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society. In 2016, she was selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, the highest honor in this profession.

Diane Damiano, M.D.

Robotics for Pediatric Rehabilitation: Principles and Possibilities
Development and implementation of robotic devices in pediatric Neurorehabilitation has increased dramatically in recent years. However, robotic devices for rehabilitation have not necessarily demonstrated superiority to existing therapies. At the same time, effect sizes of even the most effective current therapy approaches are modest at best. Technology advances have the potential to alter that prognosis but these must be designed based on motor learning principles. For development or restoration of motor skills which is our primary research goal, devices are not needed to assist or replace lost or absent motor abilities, but instead must progressively challenge the existing capabilities of so users so that they can ultimately perform better once the device is removed. Examples of rehabilitation robotics and other engineering technologies to train motor function from our laboratory and others will be discussed in light of the underlying physiological and neurophysiological principles of motor training. Finally, I will highlight the need for multidisciplinary teams and especially the involvement of children and families in robotic design and development.
Diane L. Damiano, PT, PhD, FAPTA is a Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland and Chief of the Neurorehabilitation and Biomechanics Research Section in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department. Her research focuses on the design and investigation of activity-based rehabilitation programs and development of robotic devices to promote optimal motor functioning and enhance muscle and neural plasticity in cerebral palsy. Her laboratory also has pioneered the use of mobile brain imaging technologies to investigate cortical activation during the emergence of motor skills in infants and children with and without cerebral palsy. She has published more than 150 scientific papers and is an Associate Editor of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. She has served as President of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (1st physical therapist in their 61 year history) and the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society. In 2016, she was selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, the highest honor in this profession.

Sohee Kim, Ph.D.	Man-Machine Interfacing through Soft Bioelectronic Devices
	Brain-machine interface (BMI) is a technology that directly connects the brain and machines such as robots or computers. It can be extended to man-machine interface to include other body parts than the brain. This talk will introduce invasive interfacing technologies between the human body and machines, including BMI but not limited to, along with peripheral nerve interfaces. We at DGIST have developed neural interfacing devices based on polymers that are soft and flexible, thereby expected to be more compliant and compatible with biological tissues than the devices made of rigid silicon. To achieve the stable contact between the neural tissue and electrodes, and to minimize foreign body responses, penetrating but flexible microelectrode arrays were developed based on flexible materials. Using the fabricated microelectrodes, neural signals from the brain cortex and peripheral nerves were successfully recorded. Also, we developed non-penetrating surface-type microelectrodes in 2-dimensional and 3-dimensionsal structural forms. The microelectrodes have been further developed to minimize water and ion ingress into the polymeric substrate for the stability and reliability in long-term implantable applications.
Dr. Sohee Kim is a professor in the department of robotics and mechatronics engineering at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) since 2015. Before joining DGIST, she was a professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) from 2009 to 2015. She obtained B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from KAIST, and Ph.D. degree in mechatronics from Saarland University in Germany. She was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. Her research interests include neural interfacing microdevices to detect electrophysiological signals and stimulate neurons in the brain, the retina, and peripheral nerves, as well as polymer-based soft bio-MEMS and flexible/wearable devices for biomedical applications.

Sohee Kim, Ph.D.

Man-Machine Interfacing through Soft Bioelectronic Devices

Brain-machine interface (BMI) is a technology that directly connects the brain and machines such as robots or computers. It can be extended to man-machine interface to include other body parts than the brain. This talk will introduce invasive interfacing technologies between the human body and machines, including BMI but not limited to, along with peripheral nerve interfaces. We at DGIST have developed neural interfacing devices based on polymers that are soft and flexible, thereby expected to be more compliant and compatible with biological tissues than the devices made of rigid silicon. To achieve the stable contact between the neural tissue and electrodes, and to minimize foreign body responses, penetrating but flexible microelectrode arrays were developed based on flexible materials. Using the fabricated microelectrodes, neural signals from the brain cortex and peripheral nerves were successfully recorded. Also, we developed non-penetrating surface-type microelectrodes in 2-dimensional and 3-dimensionsal structural forms. The microelectrodes have been further developed to minimize water and ion ingress into the polymeric substrate for the stability and reliability in long-term implantable applications.

Dr. Sohee Kim is a professor in the department of robotics and mechatronics engineering at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) since 2015. Before joining DGIST, she was a professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) from 2009 to 2015. She obtained B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from KAIST, and Ph.D. degree in mechatronics from Saarland University in Germany. She was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. Her research interests include neural interfacing microdevices to detect electrophysiological signals and stimulate neurons in the brain, the retina, and peripheral nerves, as well as polymer-based soft bio-MEMS and flexible/wearable devices for biomedical applications.

Sohee Kim, Ph.D.

Man-Machine Interfacing through Soft Bioelectronic Devices
Brain-machine interface (BMI) is a technology that directly connects the brain and machines such as robots or computers. It can be extended to man-machine interface to include other body parts than the brain. This talk will introduce invasive interfacing technologies between the human body and machines, including BMI but not limited to, along with peripheral nerve interfaces. We at DGIST have developed neural interfacing devices based on polymers that are soft and flexible, thereby expected to be more compliant and compatible with biological tissues than the devices made of rigid silicon. To achieve the stable contact between the neural tissue and electrodes, and to minimize foreign body responses, penetrating but flexible microelectrode arrays were developed based on flexible materials. Using the fabricated microelectrodes, neural signals from the brain cortex and peripheral nerves were successfully recorded. Also, we developed non-penetrating surface-type microelectrodes in 2-dimensional and 3-dimensionsal structural forms. The microelectrodes have been further developed to minimize water and ion ingress into the polymeric substrate for the stability and reliability in long-term implantable applications.
Dr. Sohee Kim is a professor in the department of robotics and mechatronics engineering at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) since 2015. Before joining DGIST, she was a professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) from 2009 to 2015. She obtained B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from KAIST, and Ph.D. degree in mechatronics from Saarland University in Germany. She was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. Her research interests include neural interfacing microdevices to detect electrophysiological signals and stimulate neurons in the brain, the retina, and peripheral nerves, as well as polymer-based soft bio-MEMS and flexible/wearable devices for biomedical applications.

Jesus Ortiz, Ph.D.	Active exoskeletons and exosuits
	Exoskeletons and exosuits are attracting considerable interest in many different areas, including healthcare, industry, space, military and sport. They can: - provide assistance when the human body has a deficit, - protect the wearer from the risks of physical injury during manual material handling, - increase human physical capabilities (e.g. endurance, strength, speed). The development of these devices is accelerating thanks to advances in actuation, materials, sensing, control and AI, but also because of better understanding of the interaction between the wearable robot and the person. This talk will describe the development of several different exoskeleton technologies within XoLab-ADVR, ranging from rigid active exoskeletons for industrial applications, to soft quasi-passive exoskeletons (exosuits) for medical rehabilitation and use in space. Through a series of technical developments and laboratory experiments, this presentation will show how active exoskeletons have the ability to adapt to many different tasks. This will be illustrated with practical examples showing how the versatility of active exoskeletons is critical in industrial scenarios. At the same time, flexible and soft technologies are a very promising field that can very significantly improve the wearability and acceptability of these devices. This talk will also describe the development of a lower-limb exosuit for people with disabilities, and its possible future use in health maintenance for astronauts.
Dr. Jesús Ortiz is Head of the Wearable Robots, Exoskeletons and Exosuits Laboratory (XoLab) in the Dept. of Advanced Robotics (ADVR) at the Italian Inst. of Technology (IIT). He received his PhD in New Automobile Technologies from the University of Zaragoza in 2008 and for several years worked there as a researcher studying Transport and Mechanics in the Dept. of Mechanical Eng.. His current research is focused on wearable robot technologies with a particular emphasis on mechanism design, actuators, soft exoskeletons (exosuits) and control software to enhance the user experience. This work has been extensively tested in industrial/manufacturing environments and medical facilities. He has participated in 6 EU Projects and in more than 10 national and international projects. In the area of exoskeletons, he was a partner in the EU funded Project “Robo-Mate” and coordinated the “XoSoft” project which was funded through the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. He is currently coordinating a National funded project in collaboration with INAIL (Italian Worker's Compensation Authority) for the development of industrial exoskeletons. He is author of more than 100 international publications and 6 patents, and has received awards for his research in tele-operation and driving simulators, and more recently for his research in exoskeletons at CLAWAR2016, WeRob2018 and CBS2019. He has been a visiting professor at the “ENSI de Bourges”.

Jesus Ortiz, Ph.D.

Active exoskeletons and exosuits

Exoskeletons and exosuits are attracting considerable interest in many different areas, including healthcare, industry, space, military and sport. They can:
- provide assistance when the human body has a deficit,
- protect the wearer from the risks of physical injury during manual material handling,
- increase human physical capabilities (e.g. endurance, strength, speed).

The development of these devices is accelerating thanks to advances in actuation, materials, sensing, control and AI, but also because of better understanding of the interaction between the wearable robot and the person.
This talk will describe the development of several different exoskeleton technologies within XoLab-ADVR, ranging from rigid active exoskeletons for industrial applications, to soft quasi-passive exoskeletons (exosuits) for medical rehabilitation and use in space. Through a series of technical developments and laboratory experiments, this presentation will show how active exoskeletons have the ability to adapt to many different tasks. This will be illustrated with practical examples showing how the versatility of active exoskeletons is critical in industrial scenarios. At the same time, flexible and soft technologies are a very promising field that can very significantly improve the wearability and acceptability of these devices. This talk will also describe the development of a lower-limb exosuit for people with disabilities, and its possible future use in health maintenance for astronauts.

Dr. Jesús Ortiz is Head of the Wearable Robots, Exoskeletons and Exosuits Laboratory (XoLab) in the Dept. of Advanced Robotics (ADVR) at the Italian Inst. of Technology (IIT). He received his PhD in New Automobile Technologies from the University of Zaragoza in 2008 and for several years worked there as a researcher studying Transport and Mechanics in the Dept. of Mechanical Eng.. His current research is focused on wearable robot technologies with a particular emphasis on mechanism design, actuators, soft exoskeletons (exosuits) and control software to enhance the user experience. This work has been extensively tested in industrial/manufacturing environments and medical facilities. He has participated in 6 EU Projects and in more than 10 national and international projects. In the area of exoskeletons, he was a partner in the EU funded Project “Robo-Mate” and coordinated the “XoSoft” project which was funded through the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. He is currently coordinating a National funded project in collaboration with INAIL (Italian Worker's Compensation Authority) for the development of industrial exoskeletons. He is author of more than 100 international publications and 6 patents, and has received awards for his research in tele-operation and driving simulators, and more recently for his research in exoskeletons at CLAWAR2016, WeRob2018 and CBS2019. He has been a visiting professor at the “ENSI de Bourges”.

Jesus Ortiz, Ph.D.

Active exoskeletons and exosuits
Exoskeletons and exosuits are attracting considerable interest in many different areas, including healthcare, industry, space, military and sport. They can: - provide assistance when the human body has a deficit, - protect the wearer from the risks of physical injury during manual material handling, - increase human physical capabilities (e.g. endurance, strength, speed). The development of these devices is accelerating thanks to advances in actuation, materials, sensing, control and AI, but also because of better understanding of the interaction between the wearable robot and the person. This talk will describe the development of several different exoskeleton technologies within XoLab-ADVR, ranging from rigid active exoskeletons for industrial applications, to soft quasi-passive exoskeletons (exosuits) for medical rehabilitation and use in space. Through a series of technical developments and laboratory experiments, this presentation will show how active exoskeletons have the ability to adapt to many different tasks. This will be illustrated with practical examples showing how the versatility of active exoskeletons is critical in industrial scenarios. At the same time, flexible and soft technologies are a very promising field that can very significantly improve the wearability and acceptability of these devices. This talk will also describe the development of a lower-limb exosuit for people with disabilities, and its possible future use in health maintenance for astronauts.
Dr. Jesús Ortiz is Head of the Wearable Robots, Exoskeletons and Exosuits Laboratory (XoLab) in the Dept. of Advanced Robotics (ADVR) at the Italian Inst. of Technology (IIT). He received his PhD in New Automobile Technologies from the University of Zaragoza in 2008 and for several years worked there as a researcher studying Transport and Mechanics in the Dept. of Mechanical Eng.. His current research is focused on wearable robot technologies with a particular emphasis on mechanism design, actuators, soft exoskeletons (exosuits) and control software to enhance the user experience. This work has been extensively tested in industrial/manufacturing environments and medical facilities. He has participated in 6 EU Projects and in more than 10 national and international projects. In the area of exoskeletons, he was a partner in the EU funded Project “Robo-Mate” and coordinated the “XoSoft” project which was funded through the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. He is currently coordinating a National funded project in collaboration with INAIL (Italian Worker's Compensation Authority) for the development of industrial exoskeletons. He is author of more than 100 international publications and 6 patents, and has received awards for his research in tele-operation and driving simulators, and more recently for his research in exoskeletons at CLAWAR2016, WeRob2018 and CBS2019. He has been a visiting professor at the “ENSI de Bourges”.

James Finley, Ph.D.	Learning to take advantage of assistance
	When developing assistive devices to improve mobility, designers often consider reducing the energy cost of walking or reducing fall risk as key design objectives. However, the long-term adoption of these devices relies not only on achieving these objectives, but also on the user’s ability to accept assistance, and ultimately decide to use that assistance instead of their default or habitual choices. Here, I will begin by describing our recent work in which we examine how people learn to acquire and accept assistance when adapting to walking on a split-belt treadmill. When the belts of this device are driven to move at different speeds, this creates an opportunity where the treadmill can perform net positive or negative mechanical work on the user, depending on the user’s gait pattern. As a result, the user has to learn the appropriate features of their gait to modify to reduce the positive work performed by the limbs. Although people make rapid changes to their gait when initially experiencing a difference in belt speeds, the time course over which they learn to take advantage of the treadmill is much longer than what is traditionally allotted in studies of adaptive learning. Understanding the timescales over which people learn to use assistive devices is critical for designing effective algorithms that can provide assistance while adapting to changes in the user’s behavior. I will conclude with a discussion of the possible neuropsychological processes that guide effort-based decision-making and their implications for the evaluation and long-term adoption of assistive mobility devices.
Dr. Finley is the director of the Locomotor Control Laboratory within the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. The primary objective of Dr. Finley's research is to better understand how locomotion is controlled and adapted in both the healthy and injured neuromuscular system. The lab develops theoretical models and experiments based on principles of neuroscience, biomechanics, and exercise physiology to identify the factors that guide learning and rehabilitation. Ultimately, the goal of Dr. Finley's work is to design novel and effective interventions to improve locomotor control in individuals with injury to the nervous system.

James Finley, Ph.D.

Learning to take advantage of assistance

When developing assistive devices to improve mobility, designers often consider reducing the energy cost of walking or reducing fall risk as key design objectives. However, the long-term adoption of these devices relies not only on achieving these objectives, but also on the user’s ability to accept assistance, and ultimately decide to use that assistance instead of their default or habitual choices. Here, I will begin by describing our recent work in which we examine how people learn to acquire and accept assistance when adapting to walking on a split-belt treadmill. When the belts of this device are driven to move at different speeds, this creates an opportunity where the treadmill can perform net positive or negative mechanical work on the user, depending on the user’s gait pattern. As a result, the user has to learn the appropriate features of their gait to modify to reduce the positive work performed by the limbs. Although people make rapid changes to their gait when initially experiencing a difference in belt speeds, the time course over which they learn to take advantage of the treadmill is much longer than what is traditionally allotted in studies of adaptive learning. Understanding the timescales over which people learn to use assistive devices is critical for designing effective algorithms that can provide assistance while adapting to changes in the user’s behavior. I will conclude with a discussion of the possible neuropsychological processes that guide effort-based decision-making and their implications for the evaluation and long-term adoption of assistive mobility devices.

Dr. Finley is the director of the Locomotor Control Laboratory within the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. The primary objective of Dr. Finley's research is to better understand how locomotion is controlled and adapted in both the healthy and injured neuromuscular system. The lab develops theoretical models and experiments based on principles of neuroscience, biomechanics, and exercise physiology to identify the factors that guide learning and rehabilitation. Ultimately, the goal of Dr. Finley's work is to design novel and effective interventions to improve locomotor control in individuals with injury to the nervous system.

James Finley, Ph.D.

Learning to take advantage of assistance
When developing assistive devices to improve mobility, designers often consider reducing the energy cost of walking or reducing fall risk as key design objectives. However, the long-term adoption of these devices relies not only on achieving these objectives, but also on the user’s ability to accept assistance, and ultimately decide to use that assistance instead of their default or habitual choices. Here, I will begin by describing our recent work in which we examine how people learn to acquire and accept assistance when adapting to walking on a split-belt treadmill. When the belts of this device are driven to move at different speeds, this creates an opportunity where the treadmill can perform net positive or negative mechanical work on the user, depending on the user’s gait pattern. As a result, the user has to learn the appropriate features of their gait to modify to reduce the positive work performed by the limbs. Although people make rapid changes to their gait when initially experiencing a difference in belt speeds, the time course over which they learn to take advantage of the treadmill is much longer than what is traditionally allotted in studies of adaptive learning. Understanding the timescales over which people learn to use assistive devices is critical for designing effective algorithms that can provide assistance while adapting to changes in the user’s behavior. I will conclude with a discussion of the possible neuropsychological processes that guide effort-based decision-making and their implications for the evaluation and long-term adoption of assistive mobility devices.
Dr. Finley is the director of the Locomotor Control Laboratory within the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. The primary objective of Dr. Finley's research is to better understand how locomotion is controlled and adapted in both the healthy and injured neuromuscular system. The lab develops theoretical models and experiments based on principles of neuroscience, biomechanics, and exercise physiology to identify the factors that guide learning and rehabilitation. Ultimately, the goal of Dr. Finley's work is to design novel and effective interventions to improve locomotor control in individuals with injury to the nervous system.

BioRob 2022