Stefano Toxiri, Italy
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
WG2-member
How should a wearable robot contribute to the assisted task? What are its key design parameters that promote effectiveness and acceptance?
Addressing these questions in the context of the Robo-Mate EU project has contributed to the design of the ‘trunk module’, a back-support exoskeleton designed for industrial workers. It led to a non-invasive user control interface that results in its physical effectiveness.
In an ongoing national follow-up project, I further address the questions above with the goal of promoting adoption in the field for the ‘trunk module’ as well as devices supporting other joints.
I am keenly interested in the mechatronics that enables the design of increasingly effective wearable robots in industrial but also medical applications.
- Toxiri, S., Ortiz, J., Masood, J., Fernández, J., Mateos, L.A. and Caldwell, D.G., 2015, December. A wearable device for reducing spinal loads during lifting tasks: Biomechanics and design concepts. In Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), 2015 IEEE International Conference on (pp. 2295-2300). IEEE.
- Toxiri, S., Ortiz, J., Masood, J., Fernández, J., Mateos, L.A. and Caldwell, D.G., 2017. A powered low-back exoskeleton for industrial handling: considerations on controls. In Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends (pp. 287-291). Springer, Cham.
- Toxiri, S., Calanca, A., Ortiz, J., Fiorini, P. and Caldwell, D.G., 2017. A Parallel-Elastic Actuator for a Torque-Controlled Back-Support Exoskeleton. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
- Toxiri, S., Koopman, A.S., Lazzaroni, M., Ortiz, J., Power, V., de Looze, M.P., O’Sullivan, L. and Caldwell, D.G., 2018. Rationale, Implementation and Evaluation of Assistive Strategies for an Active Back-Support Exoskeleton. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 5, p.53.
