Robotics

Research Topics

Robotics for the assistance to the disabled: Adapted kitchen endowed with a robot and other modular elements

Research on robotics in medicine deals with the close interaction between people and robots. IBEC’s Robotics group designs and develops intelligent robotics systems to assist people with disabilities and medical personnel. This involves acquiring detailed knowledge about the behaviour and intentions of users, not only to develop an interface adapted to both their needs and the requirements of the tasks, but also to facilitate fine tuning of the level of cooperation between the person and the machine, taking into account the user’s abilities.

 

Teaching a robot how to perform
therapeutic exercises.

Our main project in rehabilitation is the design and development of robot control strategies for a simultaneous operation of a Neurorobot and a Motor Neuroprosthesis. The project addresses the “assist as needed” concept; that is, based on the use of biofeedback, an orthotic device (an exoskeleton) is controlled from user’s volitional commands, considering also the user’s capabilities (fatigue, level of motor disorder, etc) and their dynamic changes. A special effort is dedicated to developing adequate compliant control strategies, which ensure safe interaction during physical contact between human and robot.

Experimentation techniques for microoperation:
threading a needle through assisted teleoperation.

In surgical robotics our research is focused on the design of assisted teleoperation strategies, with the goal of reducing stress for surgeons who perform operations requiring highly delicate actions and great precision. Some surgical procedures can be carried out safely and more effectively with robotic assistance, and this technique also improves reliability. The research of the group in this area deals with physical (based on touch-force) and remote (based on vision) interaction to provide a safe and user-friendly programming and control environment.

• Prof. Dr. Alícia Casals | Group Leader
• Dr. Joan Aranda | Senior Researcher
• Dr. Manel Frigola | Senior Researcher
• Luis Ernesto Amigo Vásquez | PhD Student
• Eduard Bergés | PhD Student
• Xavier Giralt | PhD Student
• Albert Hernansanz | PhD Student
• Vijaykumar Rajasekaran | PhD Student
• Manuel Vinagre Ruiz | PhD Student
• Lluís Sala | Master Student

• Miguel Munoz, L., Casals, A., Frigola, M. & Amat, J. (2011). Motor-model-based dynamic scaling in human-computer interfaces. IEEE Transactions on Systems Man and Cybernetics Part B-Cybernetics, 41(2), 435-447.
• Amigo, L., Casals, A. & Amat, J (2011). Design of a 3-DoF joint system with dynamic servo-adaptation in orthotic applications.. In IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). Shanghai, China (2011). Published by IEEE (2011/05/09).
• Frigola, M., Vinagre Ruiz, M., Casals, A., Amat, J., Santana, F. & Torrens, C. (2010). Robotics as a support tool for experimental optimisation of surgical strategies in orthopaedic surgery. Applied Bionics and Biomechanics, 7(3), 231-239.
• Casals, A. (2010). Robótica en sanidad: asistencia en quirófano y asistencia a las personas. Automática e Instrumentación, 418, 47-50.
• Casamitjana, M., Pérez, M., Aranda, J., Montseny, E. & Martin, E (2010). Reliable 3D reconstruction extending pixel-level certainty measures.. In IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy, pages 1-7.
• Casals, A., Campos, J., Giralt, X. & Amat, J (2010). Intuitive Graphic Interface for Assisted Teleoperation in Surgical Applications.. In DRHE 2010 Dependable Robots in Human Environments.
• Casals, A (2010). Human – Robot cooperation techniques in surgery. In ICINCO 2010, pages 1-4.
• Andonovski, B., Ponsa, P. & Casals, A (2010). Towards the development of a haptics guideline in human-robot systems.. In 3rd International Conference on Human System Interactions (HSI), pages 380-387.
• Amigo Vásquez, L. E., Casals, A. & Amat, J (2010). Polyarticulated architecture for the emulation of an isocentric joint in orthetic applications.. In BioRob 2010, pages 825-830.
• Aranda, J., Vinagre Ruiz, M., Martín, E., Casamitjana, M. & Casals, A (2010). Friendly Human-Machine Interaction in an Adapted Robotized Kitchen. In Miesenberger, Klaus, Klaus, Joachim, Zagler, Wolfgang et al (editors), Computers Helping People with Special Needs. Springer Berlin / Heidelberg.
• Muñoz, L. M. & Casals, A. (2009). Improving the Human–Robot Interface Through Adaptive Multispace Transformation. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 25, 1208 - 1213.
• Casals, A., Frigola, M. & Amat, J. (2009). Robotics, a valuable tool in surgery. RIAII, 6, 5-19.
• Casals, A. & Fernández-Caballero, A. (2007). Robotics and Autonomous Systems in the 50th Anniversary of Artificial Intelligence. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 55(12).
• Casals, A., Muñoz, L. M., Frigola, M. & Amat, J. (2007). Assisted Teleoperation and Dependability. IEEE-RAS/ IARP/EURON - 2007 IARP International Workshop on Technical Challenges on Dependable Robots in Human Environments, Roma (Itàlia).
• Frigola, M., Rodriguez, A., Amat, J. & Casals, A. (2007). Computer Vision Body Modeling for Gesture Based Teleoperation. Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics:Advances in Telerobotics, 31, 121-137.
• Rodríguez-Cheu, L. E., Aguilar, M. E., Cuxar, A., Navarro, X. & Casals, A. (2007). Perceptual Feedback of grasping forces to prosthetic hand users. Assistive Technology Series, 20, 553-557.
• Frigola, M., Peredo, C. & Capellino, E. (2007). Parameter acquisition for gait analysis in rehabilitation based on a self-adjustable speed treadmill. Assistive Technology Series, 20, 439-444.
• Amat, J. & Casals, A. (2007). Technology and Disability. The Cost Efficiency and Acceptability trade-off. IEEE-RAS ICRA’07: International Workshop on Roboethics, Rome, Italy.
• Rodriguez-Cheu, L. E. & Casals, A. (2006). Sensing and control of a prosthetic hand with myoelectric feedback. IEEE Conference Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, BioRob 2006, Pisa, Italy (2006).
• Casals, A. (2006). Medical Robotics: An exciting field. Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan, 24(5), 294-296.

Projects

• Diseño y desarrollo de un sistema experimental para el estudio y evaluación de nuevas técnicas de cirugía robotizada. Projecte coordinat (2005-2008)
• HYPER: Hybrid NeuroProsthetic and NeuroRobotic Devices for Functional Compensation and Rehabilitation of Motor Disorders (2009-2014). Alicia Casals
• Sistema d'il·luminació Intel·ligent per a quiròfans (2010) Alicia Casals

Collaborations

• Salvador Riera Centre per a la Vida Independent, Barcelona


• Dr. Josep M. Campistol Hospital Clínic, Barcelona


• Dr. Enric Laporte Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell


• Dr. Carlos Torrens Hospital del Mar, Barcelona


• Dr. Joan Antoni Hueto Hospital de la Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona


• Dr. Javier Magriñá Mayo Clinics, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA


• Dr. Josep M. Tormos Guttmann Institute Foundation, Barcelona, Spain

• KUKA lightweight robot specially designed for mobility and interaction with humans and a priori unknown environments. It is equipped with a control environment developed by the team to program anatomic constraints to operate in virtual environments
• Experimental robotized kitchen composed of a robot, several adapted cupboards, a kitchen counter and a PC for robot and environment control.

12/1/2012

"Descobrim l'interior d'un laboratori de robòtica"

Alícia Casals’ Robotics laboratory was featured on Barcelona Televisió's programme "Connexió" on Tuesday 10th January, where they showed some of the robotic devices that the lab is currently developing.

10/11/2011

Robotics on the TV

On 23 October, IBEC's Robotics lab was featured in an episode of ‘Emprendedores e innovadores’ on TVE2.

 

02/11/2011

Robotics on the radio

Robotics group leader Alicia Casals was interviewed on the Catalunya Ràdio programme "El Café de la República", broadcast on 3 November at 22:00.

 

11/10/2011

IBEC science at IEC

Tonight at the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC) in Barcelona, IBEC group leader Alicia Casals will inaugurate the beginning of their new academic year with a lecture, "Neurorobòtica, el repte de la robòtica assistencial".

25/07/2011

"Un robot tiene que portarse de forma agradable"

PhD student Xavier Giralt was interviewed for the 'Gente corriente' section on the back page of Saturday's El Periódico.

21/02/2011

El 9 Nou: "Cal connectar les mans robotiques amb el nervi perquè rebin ordres"

Robotics group leader Alícia Casals appeared last week in Catalan local paper El 9 Nou, which covers the Osona/Ripollès and Vallès Oriental areas. Alícia gave a lecture about this century's challenges in robotics at the 3rd Workshop on Mechatronics at the University of Vic on 16 February.

10/12/2010

Celebrating women in science

Alícia Casals, head of IBEC’s Robotics group and one of the researchers included in the exhibition “16 Catalan Women Scientists” (16 científiques catalanes), will take part in a round table discussion with other participants on 14 December entitled “Women, Society and Science: Breaking the glass ceiling”.

12/06/2010

Science Careers: Designing a Career in Biomedical Engineering

IBEC's Robotics group leader Alícia Casals features in an online article in Science Careers magazine, the careers component of the journal Science.

18/02/2010

Recognition for the scientific work of IBEC researcher Alícia Casals

The bioengineer Alícia Casals, group leader of the robotics research program at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) will be recognized for her work as a research scientist in the “16 Científiques Catalanes” exhibition being organized by the Associació Catalana de Comunicació Científica.