Publications

@article{ivanova_dissociating_2023,

title = {Dissociating haptic feedback from physical assistance does not improve motor performance},

author = { Ekaterina Ivanova and Nuria Peña-Pérez and Jonathan Eden and Yammi Yip and Etienne Burdet},

doi = {10.1109/EMBC40787.2023.10340983},

issn = {2694-0604},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-07-01},

journal = {Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference},

volume = {2023},

pages = {1–5},

abstract = {In robots for motor rehabilitation and sports training, haptic assistance typically provides both mechanical guidance and task-relevant information. With the natural human tendency to minimise metabolic cost, mechanical guidance may however prevent efficient short term learning and retention. In this work, we explore the effect of providing haptic feedback to the not active hand during a tracking task. We test four types of haptic feedback: task- or error-related information, no information and irrelevant information. The results show that feedback provided to the hand not carrying out the tracking task did not improve task performance. However, irrelevant information to the task worsened performance, and negatively influenced the participants' perception of helpfulness, assistance, likability and predictability.},

keywords = {Feedback, Haptic Technology, Humans, Learning, Sensory, Sports},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{jiang_virtual_2023,

title = {A virtual reality platform to evaluate the effects of supernumerary limbs' appearance},

author = { Ziyi Jiang and Yanpei Huang and Jonathan Eden and Ekaterina Ivanova and Xiaoxiao Cheng and Etienne Burdet},

doi = {10.1109/EMBC40787.2023.10340197},

issn = {2694-0604},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-07-01},

journal = {Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference},

volume = {2023},

pages = {1–5},

abstract = {Supernumerary robot limbs (SL) can expand the ability of users by increasing the number of degrees of freedom that they control. While several SLs have been designed and tested on human participants, the effect of the limb's appearance on the user's acceptance, embodiment and device usage is not yet understood. We developed a virtual reality platform with a three-arm avatar that enabled us to systematically investigate the effect of the supernumerary limb's appearance on their perception and motion control performance. A pilot study with 14 participants exhibited similar performance, workload and preference in human-like or robot-like appearance with a trend of preference for the robotic appearance.},

keywords = {Extremities, Humans, Pilot Projects, Robotics, Virtual reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{ofner_mental_2023,

title = {Mental Tasks Modulate Motor-Units Above 10 Hz and are a Potential Control Signal for Movement Augmentation: a Preliminary Study},

author = { Patrick Ofner and Meng-Jung Lee and Dario Farina and Carsten Mehring},

doi = {10.1109/EMBC40787.2023.10340378},

issn = {2694-0604},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-07-01},

journal = {Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference},

volume = {2023},

pages = {1–4},

abstract = {Spinal motor neurons receive a wide range of input frequencies. However, only frequencies below ca. 10 Hz are directly translated into motor output. Frequency components above 10 Hz are filtered out by neural pathways and muscle dynamics. These higher frequency components may have an indirect effect on motor output, or may simply represent movement-independent oscillations that leak down from supraspinal areas such as the motor cortex. If movement-independent oscillations leak down from supraspinal areas, they could provide a potential control signal in movement augmentation applications. We analysed high-density electromyography (HD-EMG) signals from the tibialis anterior muscle while human subjects performed various mental tasks. The subjects performed an isometric dorsiflexion of the right foot at a low level of force while simultaneously (1) imagining a movement of the right foot, (2) imagining a movement of both hands, (3) performing a mathematical task, or (4) performing no additional task. We classified the channel-averaged HD-EMG signals and the cumulative spike train (CST) of motor-units using a filter bank and a linear classifier. We found that in some subjects, the mental task can be classified from the channel-averaged HD-EMG signals and the CST in oscillations above 10 Hz. Furthermore, we found that these oscillation modulations are incompatible with a systematic and task-dependent change in force level. Our preliminary findings from a limited number of subjects suggest that some mental task-induced oscillations from supraspinal areas leak down to spinal motor neurons and are discriminable via EMG or CST signals at the innervated muscle.},

keywords = {Electromyography, Foot, Humans, Motor Neurons, Movement, Muscle, Skeletal},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pinardi_comparing_2023,

title = {Comparing end-effector position and joint angle feedback for online robotic limb tracking},

author = { Mattia Pinardi and Alessia Noccaro and Luigi Raiano and Domenico Formica and Giovanni {Di Pino}},

url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0286566},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0286566},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-06-01},

urldate = {2023-06-01},

journal = {PLOS ONE},

volume = {18},

number = {6},

pages = {e0286566},

abstract = {Somatosensation greatly increases the ability to control our natural body. This suggests that supplementing vision with haptic sensory feedback would also be helpful when a user aims at controlling a robotic arm proficiently. However, whether the position of the robot and its continuous update should be coded in a extrinsic or intrinsic reference frame is not known. Here we compared two different supplementary feedback contents concerning the status of a robotic limb in 2-DoFs configuration: one encoding the Cartesian coordinates of the end-effector of the robotic arm (i.e., Task-space feedback) and another and encoding the robot joints angles (i.e., Joint-space feedback). Feedback was delivered to blindfolded participants through vibrotactile stimulation applied on participants’ leg. After a 1.5-hour training with both feedbacks, participants were significantly more accurate with Task compared to Joint-space feedback, as shown by lower position and aiming errors, albeit not faster (i.e., similar onset delay). However, learning index during training was significantly higher in Joint space feedback compared to Task-space feedback. These results suggest that Task-space feedback is probably more intuitive and more suited for activities which require short training sessions, while Joint space feedback showed potential for long-term improvement. We speculate that the latter, despite performing worse in the present work, might be ultimately more suited for applications requiring long training, such as the control of supernumerary robotic limbs for surgical robotics, heavy industrial manufacturing, or more generally, in the context of human movement augmentation.},

note = {Publisher: Public Library of Science},

keywords = {Body limbs, Motion, Prosthetics, Robotics, Robots, Sensory perception, Vibration, Vision},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{farina_roboticists_2023,

title = {Roboticists Want to Give You a Third Arm: Unused Bandwidth in Neurons Can be Tapped to Control Extra Limbs},

author = { Dario Farina and Etienne Burdet and Carsten Mehring and Jaime Ibáñez},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1109/MSPEC.2023.10061646},

doi = {10.1109/MSPEC.2023.10061646},

issn = {0018-9235},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-01},

urldate = {2023-05-29},

journal = {IEEE Spectrum},

volume = {60},

number = {3},

pages = {22--46},

abstract = {Consider a surgeon performing a delicate operation, one that needs her expertise and steady hands—all three of them. As her two biological hands manip-ulate surgical instruments, a third robotic limb that's attached to her torso plays a supporting role. Or picture a construction worker who is thankful for his extra robotic hand as it braces the heavy beam he's fastening into place with his other two hands. Imagine wearing an exoskeleton that would let you handle multiple objects simultaneously, like Spiderman's Dr. Octopus. Or contemplate the out-there music a composer could write for a pianist who has 12 fingers to spread across the keyboard.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pena-perez_how_2023,

title = {How virtual and mechanical coupling impact bimanual tracking},

author = { Nuria Peña-Pérez and Jonathan Eden and Ekaterina Ivanova and Ildar Farkhatdinov and Etienne Burdet},

url = {https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00057.2022},

doi = {10.1152/jn.00057.2022},

issn = {0022-3077},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2023-09-08},

journal = {Journal of Neurophysiology},

volume = {129},

number = {1},

pages = {102–114},

abstract = {Download figureDownload PowerPoint},

note = {Publisher: American Physiological Society},

keywords = {bimanual, coupling, Redundancy, visuomotor tracking},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pena-perez_impact_2023,

title = {The Impact of Stiffness in Bimanual Versus Dyadic Interactions Requiring Force Exchange},

author = {Nuria Peña-Pérez and Sharah Abdul Mutalib and Jonathan Eden and Ildar Farkhatdinov and Etienne Burdet},

doi = {10.1109/TOH.2023.3274584},

issn = {2329-4051},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2023-01-01},

journal = {IEEE Transactions on Haptics},

pages = {1–6},

abstract = {During daily activities, humans routinely manipulate objects bimanually or with the help of a partner. This work explored how bimanual and dyadic coordination modes are impacted by the object's stiffness, which conditions inter-limb haptic communication. For this, we recruited twenty healthy participants who performed a virtual task inspired by object handling, where we looked at the initiation of force exchange and its continued maintenance while tracking. Our findings suggest that while individuals and dyads displayed different motor behaviours, which may stem from the dyad's need to estimate their partner's actions, they exhibited similar tracking accuracy. For both coordination modes, increased stiffness resulted in better tracking accuracy and more correlated motions, but required a larger effort through increased average torque. These results suggest that stiffness may be a key consideration in applications such as rehabilitation, where bimanual or external physical assistance is often provided.},

note = {Conference Name: IEEE Transactions on Haptics},

keywords = {bimanual control, Force, Grasping, human-human interaction, Monitoring, object stiffness, Target tracking, Task analysis, Torque, Virtual object manipulation, Wrist},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{wang_learning_2023,

title = {Learning to Assist Bimanual Teleoperation using Interval Type-2 Polynomial Fuzzy Inference},

author = { Ziwei Wang and Haolin Fei and Yanpei Huang and Quentin Rouxel and Bo Xiao and Zhibin Li and Etienne Burdet},

doi = {10.1109/TCDS.2023.3272730},

issn = {2379-8939},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems},

pages = {1–1},

abstract = {Assisting humans in collaborative tasks is a promising application for robots, however effective assistance remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a method for providing intuitive robotic assistance based on learning from human natural limb coordination. To encode coupling between multiple-limb motions, we use a novel interval type-2 (IT2) polynomial fuzzy inference for modeling trajectory adaptation. The associated polynomial coefficients are estimated using a modified recursive least-square with a dynamic forgetting factor. We propose to employ a Gaussian process to produce robust human motion predictions, and thus address the uncertainty and measurement noise of the system caused by interactive environments. Experimental results on two types of interaction tasks demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, which achieves high accuracy in predicting assistive limb motion and enables humans to perform bimanual tasks using only one limb.},

note = {Conference Name: IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems},

keywords = {Bimanual manipulation, Collaboration, Fuzzy sets, Gaussian process, Human-robot collaboration, IT2 polynomial fuzzy system, Robot kinematics, Robot learning, Robots, Task analysis, Trajectory, Uncertainty},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pinardi_exploring_2023,

title = {Exploring crossmodal correspondences for future research in human movement augmentation},

author = { Mattia Pinardi and Nicola {Di Stefano} and Giovanni {Di Pino} and Charles Spence},

url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1190103},

issn = {1664-1078},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},

volume = {14},

abstract = {“Crossmodal correspondences” are the consistent mappings between perceptual dimensions or stimuli from different sensory domains, which have been widely observed in the general population and investigated by experimental psychologists in recent years. At the same time, the emerging field of human movement augmentation (i.e., the enhancement of an individual’s motor abilities by means of artificial devices) has been struggling with the question of how to relay supplementary information concerning the state of the artificial device and its interaction with the environment to the user, which may help the latter to control the device more effectively. To date, this challenge has not been explicitly addressed by capitalizing on our emerging knowledge concerning crossmodal correspondences, despite these being tightly related to multisensory integration. In this perspective paper, we introduce some of the latest research findings on the crossmodal correspondences and their potential role in human augmentation. We then consider three ways in which the former might impact the latter, and the feasibility of this process. First, crossmodal correspondences, given the documented effect on attentional processing, might facilitate the integration of device status information (e.g., concerning position) coming from different sensory modalities (e.g., haptic and visual), thus increasing their usefulness for motor control and embodiment. Second, by capitalizing on their widespread and seemingly spontaneous nature, crossmodal correspondences might be exploited to reduce the cognitive burden caused by additional sensory inputs and the time required for the human brain to adapt the representation of the body to the presence of the artificial device. Third, to accomplish the first two points, the benefits of crossmodal correspondences should be maintained even after sensory substitution, a strategy commonly used when implementing supplementary feedback.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{buratti_effect_2023,

title = {Effect of Vibrotactile Feedback on the Control of the Interaction Force of a Supernumerary Robotic Arm},

author = { Silvia Buratti and Davide Deiana and Alessia Noccaro and Mattia Pinardi and Giovanni {Di Pino} and Domenico Formica and Nathanaël Jarrassé},

url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/11/12/1085},

doi = {10.3390/machines11121085},

issn = {2075-1702},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Machines},

volume = {11},

number = {12},

abstract = {Supernumerary robotic limbs are mainly designed to augment the physical capabilities of able-bodied individuals, in a wide range of contexts from body support to surgery. When they are worn as wearable devices, they naturally provide inherent feedback due to the mechanical coupling with the human body. The user can, thus, perceive the interaction with the environment by relying on a combination of visual and inherent feedback. However, these can be inefficient in accomplishing complex tasks, particularly in the case of visual occlusion or variation in the environment stiffness. Here, we investigated whether, in a force-regulation task using a wearable supernumerary robotic arm (SRA), additional vibrotactile feedback can increase the control performance of participants compared to the inherent feedback. Additionally, to make the scenario more realistic, we introduced variations in the SRA’s kinematic posture and in the environment stiffness. Notably, our findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in user performance over all the evaluated metrics while receiving additional vibrotactile feedback. Compared to inherent feedback alone, the additional vibrotactile feedback allowed participants to exert the required force faster (p < 0.01), to maintain it for longer (p < 0.001), and with lower errors (p < 0.001). No discernible effects related to the SRA’s posture or environment stiffness were observed. These results proved the benefits of providing the user with additional vibrotactile feedback to convey the SRA’s force during interaction tasks.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{huang_can_2023,

title = {Can Training Make Three Arms Better Than Two Heads for Trimanual Coordination?},

author = { Yanpei Huang and Jonathan Eden and Ekaterina Ivanova and Etienne Burdet},

url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10810309/},

doi = {10.1109/OJEMB.2023.3305808},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2024-05-08},

journal = {IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology},

volume = {4},

pages = {148},

abstract = {Supernumerary effectors have been proposed to enable users to perform tasks alone that normally require assistance from a partner. While various supernumerary robotic limbs have been developed in the last decade, the capability of users to operate them ...},

note = {Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{10149474,

title = {Towards Human-Robot Collaborative Surgery: Trajectory and Strategy Learning in Bimanual Peg Transfer},

author = {Zhaoyang Jacopo Hu and Ziwei Wang and Yanpei Huang and Aran Sena and Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena and Etienne Burdet},

doi = {10.1109/LRA.2023.3285478},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters},

volume = {8},

number = {8},

pages = {4553-4560},

keywords = {Autonomous agents, Collaboration, Human-Robot Interaction, Imitation Learning, Medical Robots, Robots, Shared Control, Surgery, Task analysis, Training, Trajectory},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{eden_principles_2022,

title = {Principles of human movement augmentation and the challenges in making it a reality},

author = {Jonathan Eden and Mario Bräcklein and Jaime Ibáñez and Deren Yusuf Barsakcioglu and Giovanni {Di Pino} and Dario Farina and Etienne Burdet and Carsten Mehring},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-022-28725-7},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-12-01},

urldate = {2022-12-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {13},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}