Biomechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that combines principles of biology and mechatronics (electrical, electronics, and mechanical engineering). It also encompasses the fields of robotics and neuroscience. This discipline aims at designing and controlling advanced robotic systems that interact with the human body. This field includes a wide range of applications, including the design and control of wearable and implantable devices, prosthetics, exoskeletons, and assistive robots.
Collaborative Robotics is a branch of Biomechatronics that explores the interaction and collaboration between humans and robots. This includes the design of robotic systems that can work alongside humans in shared environments, as well as the study of human-robot interaction and the development of new control strategies to enable effective collaboration. The evolution of the field may be seen as a gradual approach to human-robot interaction, human-robot cooperation, and human-robot teaming. Human-robot interaction is the study of how humans and robots interact, as well as how to develop robots that can adapt to human behavior. Human-robot cooperation expands on this by creating new approaches and technologies that allow robots to collaborate with people in shared environments. The field of human-robot teaming goes one step further, by studying how to create teams of humans and robots that can work together effectively and efficiently to achieve common goals.
This research group focuses on the intersection of Biomechatronics and Collaborative Robotics. The objective is to develop advanced technologies that enhance human capabilities and enable more efficient and effective collaboration between humans and robots. Haptics, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Extended Reality (ER) technologies are integrated to create immersive and interactive experiences for human-robot collaboration to enhance human capabilities and improve the efficiency of tasks.
Combining Biomechatronics and Collaborative Robotics can provide several benefits for society:
- improving the quality of life for people with impairments through developing advanced technologies such wearable and implantable devices, prosthetics, exoskeletons, and assistive robots that can augment human capacities and mobility;
- increasing efficiency and production in a wide range of industries by allowing robots to collaborate with people in shared environments and developing new control mechanisms to facilitate efficient cooperation;
- new developments in the realm of human-robot interaction, such as the formation of teams of humans and robots capable of collaborating successfully and efficiently to achieve common goals;
- development of novel applications and solutions that can benefit a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and entertainment;
- novel developments in haptics technology that can improve human-robot interaction and make it more realistic and intuitive; - enhancing athletic performance and training in sports through the use of Biomechatronics and Collaborative Robotics, such as the development of wearable devices that provide real-time feedback to athletes, robots that can assist with training exercises, and haptic technology that simulates the sensation of different surfaces and terrain.
The convergence of Biomechatronics and Collaborative Robotics has the potential to contribute to the advancement of innovative technology and solutions that benefit society and improve the quality of life for people.
External Team Members
- Professor, Domenico Prattichizzo, University of Siena, Italy
- Associate Professor Gionata Salvietti, Istituto Italiano di Technologia, Italy
- Professor Filip Gorski, Poznan University of Technology, Poland
- Doctor Alexandra Hott, Sørlandet Hospital
- Professor Peyman Mirtaheri, Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet)
- Associate Professor Nurilla Avazov, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
- Professor Matthias Pätzold, University of Agder, Norway
Master and Bachelor Students
- Martin Økter
- Katrine Als Hansen
- Jørgen Dale
- Luis Rodrigues
Partners
- Blatchford AS
- Halodi AS
- I4Helse
- Grimstad Kommune
- Norway Health Tech
- Norwegian Smart Care Cluster
- Laerdal Medical
- Avdeling for fysikalsk medisin og rehabilitering (AFR)
- Bizzcom, Slovakia
Projects
2022
Digital twins for human-robot collaboration, funded through the Industrial Ph.D scheme – Doctoral projects in industry, Research Council of Norway. European network for 3D printing of biomimetic mechatronic systems (EMERALD), funded through EEA Grants and Norway Grants. SeSe Robotics - Multipurpose Interactive Robotics for Healthcare (MIRH), funded through Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector, Research Council of Norway. 2021
Digital tvilling - design av teknisk plattform, funded through Innovation Norway, Forskningsmobilisering Agder and a share issue of private companies. A framework for assistive robotics technology in personalised healthcare (ASSISTANT), funded through the Coordination and Support Activity Project Establishment Support, Pilot Helse, Research Council of Norway. DreamTeam, funded by Digin, Norwegian ICT cluster. Partners: I4HELSE, MENY, Dahlske High School, Young Industrial Innovators. 2020
Integrating virtual and AUGMENTED reality with WEARable technology into engineering EDUcation (AugmentedWearEdu), funded through the Call 2020 Round 1 KA2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, Erasmus+. Partners: Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania; University of Siena (UNISI), Italy; Universida de do Minho (UMinho), Portugal; University Politehnica Timișoara (UPT), Romania. Cobots for Bio-mechatronics applications, funded through the Top Research Centre Mechatronics (TRCM) recruitment positions. Principal Investigator (PI). I am responsible for the supervision of a PhD Fellow. Modular Multi-terrain Self-reconfigurable Snake Robot, funded through the Top Research Centre Mechatronics (TRCM) recruitment positions. Principal Investigator (PI). I am responsible for the supervision of a PhD Fellow. Multi Modal Intervention Framework: Improving Situational Awareness by Predicting Emotional Outbursts in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, funded through the UiA call for strategic recruitment positions.
Publications
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Even Falkenberg LangÅs, Halima Bukhari and Stian Robstad. Pervasive and Connected Digital Twins for Edge Computing Enabled Industrial Applications. In Proceeding of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2023), Maui, Hawaii, United States of America. 2023, 6789–6798.
- Muhammad Kamran Khan, Muhammad Hamza Zafar, Saad Rashid, Majad Mansoor, Syed Kumayl Raza Moosavi and Filippo Sanfilippo. Improved Reptile Search Optimization Algorithm: Application on Regression and Classification Problems. Applied Sciences 13(2):945, 2023.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Rein T Thorstensen, Ajit Jha, Zhiyu Jiang and Kjell G Robbersmyr. A Perspective Review on Digital Twins for Roads, Bridges, and Civil Infrastructures. In Proceeding of the 2nd IEEE International Conference on Electrical, Computer, Communications and Mechatronics Engineering (ICECCME), Male, Maldives. 2022, -.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Martin Økter, Tine Eie and Morten Ottestad. An Open Framework for teaching Motion Control for Mechatronics Education. In Proceeding of the 7th IEEE International STEM Education Conference (iSTEM-Ed), Sukhothai, Thailand. 2022, 1–4.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Martin Økter, Tine Eie and Morten Ottestad. Teaching Motion Control in Mechatronics Education Using an Open Framework Based on the Elevator Model. Machines 10(10), 2022.
- Svein Olav Nyberg, Kjell G Robbersmyr, Jan Andreas Holm and Filippo Sanfilippo. Tensile Experiments on Adhesion Between Aluminium Profiles and Glass. In Proceeding of the International Conference on Intelligent Technologies and Applications, INTAP 2021, Grimstad, Norway, October 11–13, 2021. 2022, 407–418.
- Kristian Muri KnausgÅrd, Siv Lene Gangenes Skar, Filippo Sanfilippo, Albert Buldenko, Henning Lindheim, Jakob Lunde, Eligijus Sukarevicius and Kjell G Robbersmyr. Branch-Manoeuvring Capable Pipe Cleaning Robot for Aquaponic Systems. In Proceeding of the International Conference on Intelligent Technologies and Applications, INTAP 2021, Grimstad, Norway, October 11–13, 2021. 2022, 107–118.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Tomas Blažauskas, Martynas Girdži\=una, Airidas Janonis, Eligijus Kiudys and Gionata Salvietti. A multi-modal auditory-visual-tactile e-learning framework. In Proceeding of the International Conference on Intelligent Technologies and Applications, INTAP 2021, Grimstad, Norway, October 11–13, 2021. 2022, 119–131.
- Saishashank Balaji, Filippo Sanfilippo, Martin W Gerdes and Domenico Prattichizzo. A Perspective on Intervention Approaches for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In Proceeding of the International Conference on Intelligent Technologies and Applications, INTAP 2021, Grimstad, Norway, October 11–13, 2021. 2022, 132–143.
- Hua Minh Tuan, Filippo Sanfilippo and Nguyen Vinh Hao. A Novel Adaptive Sliding Mode Controller for a 2-DOF Elastic Robotic Arm. Robotics 11(2), 2022.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Tomas Blazauskas, Gionata Salvietti, Isabel Ramos, Silviu Vert, Jaziar Radianti, Tim A Majchrzak and Daniel Oliveira. A Perspective Review on Integrating VR/AR with Haptics into STEM Education for Multi-Sensory Learning. Robotics 11(2), 2022.
- Askan Duivon, Pino Kirsch, Boris Mauboussin, Gabriel Mougard, Jakub Woszczyk and Filippo Sanfilippo. The Redesigned Serpens, a Low-Cost, Highly Compliant Snake Robot. Robotics 11(2), 2022.
- Syed Kumayl Raza Moosavi, Muhammad Hamza Zafar and Filippo Sanfilippo. Forward Kinematic Modelling with Radial Basis Function Neural Network Tuned with a Novel Meta-Heuristic Algorithm for Robotic Manipulators. Robotics 11(2), 2022.
- Muhammad Hamza Zafar, Noman Mujeeb Khan, Majad Mansoor, Adeel Feroz Mirza, Syed Kumayl Raza Moosavi and Filippo Sanfilippo. Adaptive ML-based technique for renewable energy system power forecasting in hybrid PV-Wind farms power conversion systems. Energy Conversion and Management 258:115564, 2022.
- Filippo Sanfilippo. Combining Grasping with Adaptive Path Following and Locomotion for Modular Snake Robots. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research 11(2):59–65, 2022.
- Syed Kumayl Raza Moosavi, Muhammad Hamza Zafar and Filippo Sanfilippo. A Review of the State-of-the-Art of Sensing and Actuation Technology for Robotic Grasping and Haptic Rendering. In Proceeding of the 5th International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT), New York City (virtual), United States. 2022, –.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Jesper Smith, Sylvain Bertrand and Tor Halvard Skarberg Svendsen. Mixed reality (MR) Enabled Proprio and Teleoperation of a Humanoid Robot for Paraplegic Patients. In Proceeding of the 5th International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT), New York City (virtual), United States. 2022, –.
- Nurilla Avazov, Rym Hicheri, Muhammad Muaaz, Filippo Sanfilippo and Matthias Pätzold. A trajectory-driven 3D non-stationary mm-wave MIMO channel model for a single moving point scatterer. IEEE Access 9:115990–116001, 2021.
- Syed Kumayl Raza Moosavi, Muhammad Hamza Zafar, Malik Naveed Akhter, Shahzaib Farooq Hadi, Noman Mujeeb Khan and Filippo Sanfilippo. A Novel Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Using The Mayfly Algorithm for Classification. In Proceeding of the IEEE International Conference on Digital Futures and Transformative Technologies (ICoDT2), Islamabad, Pakistan. 2021, –.
- Filippo Sanfilippo and Kolbjørn Austreng. Sustainable Approach to Teaching Embedded Systems with Hands-On Project-Based Visible Learning. International Journal of Engineering Education 37(3):814–829, 2021.
- Hua Minh Tuan, Filippo Sanfilippo and Nguyen Vinh Hao. Modelling and Control of a 2-DOF Robot Arm with Elastic Joints for Safe Human-Robot Interaction. Frontiers in Robotics and AI 8:223, 2021.
- Julie Madelen Madshaven, Tonje Fjeldstad Markseth, David Bye JomÅs, Ghislain Maurice Norbert Isabwe, Morten Ottestad, Frank Reichert and Filippo Sanfilippo. Investigating the User Experience of a Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Solution for a Biomechatronics Laboratory and Home Environment. Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2:54, 2021.
- Kristian G Hanssen, Aksel A Transeth, Filippo Sanfilippo, PÅl Liljebäck and Øyvind Stavdahl. Path Planning for Perception-Driven Obstacle-Aided Snake Robot Locomotion. In Proceeding of the IEEE 16th International Workshop on Advanced Motion Control (AMC), Kristiansand, Norway. 2020, 98–104.
- Steven Bos, Henning Gundersen and Filippo Sanfilippo. uMemristorToolbox: Open Source Framework to Control Memristors in Unity for Ternary Applications. In Proceeding of the IEEE 50th International Symposium on Multiple-Valued Logic (ISMVL), Miyazaki, Japan. 2020.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Min Tang and Sam Steyaert. The Aquatic Surface Robot (AnSweR), a lightweight, low cost, multipurpose unmanned research vessel. In Proceeding of the 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Technologies and Applications (INTAP), Gjøvik, Norway. 2020.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Min Tang and Sam Steyaert. Aquatic Surface Robots: the State of the Art, Challenges and Possibilities. In Proceeding of the 1st IEEE International Conference on Human-Machine Systems (ICHMS), Roma, Italy. 2020.
- Mathias Arbo, Ivar Eriksen, Filippo Sanfilippo and Jan Tommy Gravdahl. Comparison of KVP and RSI for Controlling KUKA Robots Over ROS. In Proceeding of the 21st IFAC World Congress, Berlin, Germany. 2020.
- Filippo Sanfilippo and Claudio Pacchierotti. A Low-Cost Multi-Modal Auditory-Visual-Tactile Framework for Remote Touch. In Proceeding of the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT), Silicon Valley, San Jose, United States. 2020, 213–218.
- Filippo Sanfilippo, Tuan Hua and Steven Bos. A comparison between a two feedback control loop and a reinforcement learning algorithm for compliant low-cost series elastic actuators. In Proceeding of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2020), Maui, Hawaii, United States of America. 2020, 881–890.