Robotics for health, three projects for the recovery of motor functions

UCBM together with Inail and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna to improve the lives of amputees

13 January 2021 - Sono three projects underway at theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma in collaboration with the Inail Prosthetic Center of Budrio (BO) and with the participation of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa, in the field of bionic upper limb prostheses. These are three projects with low-cost assistive technologies called "WiFi-MyoHand", "RGM5" and "3D-AID". In particular “WiFi-MyoHand” will develop a new bionic prosthesis with sensory feedback thanks to a completely implantable and wireless neural stimulation system; “RGM5” it will develop new bionic surgery procedures for adapting the amputee's body to the most innovative prostheses and restore proprioception; “3DAID” will create innovative “low-cost” hand prostheses and orthoses thanks to the use of advanced rapid prototyping techniques with 3D printing.

The presentation of the three projects at theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma has seen the presence of Andrea Rossi, general manager UCBM, by the vice-rector for research, prof. Eugenio Guglielmelli, by Prof. Vincenzo Denaro, head emeritus of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, of Prof. Loredana Zollo, president of the Master's Degree Course in IngBiomedical engineering UCBM, by Prof. Vincenzo Di Lazzaro, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery UCBM and of the prof. Giovanni Di Pino, director of the Next Lab - Neurophysiology and NeuroingEngineering of Human-Technology Interaction UCBM.
For Inail there were present, among others, theing. Emanuele Gruppioni, technical director of the Inail Prosthetics Center research area, and theing. Angelo Davalli, responsible for technical and health training, while for the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa prof. Christian Cipriani, director of the BioRobotics Institute.

"The launch of the projects in collaboration with Inail and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa is a very important moment for theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma - has ofchiarato Andrea Rossi - We are proud to be able to develop some of our most ambitious projects with historic and prestigious partners such as Inail and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa. At the end of a difficult year, which opens up to great future opportunities, strengthening existing scientific collaboration relationships means having the possibility of carrying out initiatives with a great future social impact, aware that the search for solutions for the health and well-being of the person is central element in our university mission”.

>> Read the press release with all thechiarations

The three projects:

• “WiFi-MyoHand” – Implantable system optimized for interfacing with the peripheral nervous system and the control of the upper limb prosthesis
  Running for three years, the project aims to restore tactile sensitivity through implanted neural interfaces and innovative completely implantable and wireless peripheral stimulation solutions. He also wants to improve prosthesis control through high-density electromyography electrode grids and advanced muscle signal processing techniques. The work of the different teams will focus on the development of a fully implantable neural stimulation system to allow the use of the prosthesis at home and highly dexterous prosthesis control in carrying out daily life tasks, thanks to the newfound tactile sensitivity. The project, directed by Professor Loredana Zollo and by 'ing. Francesca Cordella as co-responsible, involves the CREO Lab of the faculty of Ingengineering ofUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma together with the clinical area of ​​the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital represented by the Orthopedics and Traumatology, Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Units and the Next Lab, the Inail Prosthesis Center in Budrio in addition to the Artificial Hands Area of ​​the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant'Anna High School of Pisa, directed by prof. Christian Cipriani, for the development of the sensorized prosthesis.
• “RGM5” – (Re)-Give Me Five, Exploring new frontiers in prosthetic surgery
  It focuses on the stump of the upper limb of the amputee and works on the development of procedures bionic surgery for the revision and functionalization of the abutment such as Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) and osseointegration in order to make it capable of hosting modern bionic prostheses. The project operates simultaneously in the clinical and non-clinical fields ingengineering linked to sensory feedback in the proprioceptive field. Furthermore, the project aims to activate a Bionic Surgery center at the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital which is a national point of reference for limb amputee patients. Directed by prof. Vincenzo Denaro (together with Prof. Vincenzo Di Lazzaro e Giovanni Di Pine as co-responsible) the project will last three years and sees the clinical area of ​​the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital as the leader with the units of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, and Next Lab, with the involvement of the Medicine unit Physics and Rehabilitation and the CREO Lab of the Faculty of Ingengineering and the participation of the Artificial Hands Area of Sant'Anna High School of Pisa, regarding proprioceptive sensitivity, in conjunction with the INAIL Prosthesis Center in Budrio.
• “3D-AID” - Hand prosthesis and low cost exoskeletal robotic aids
  The project intends to develop innovative and "low cost" hand prostheses and exoskeletons, thanks to the use of advanced technologies rapid prototyping techniques with 3D printing. It is led by the Faculty's CREO Lab Ingengineering ofUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (responsible prof Loredana Zollo, co-responsible Ing. Fabrizio Taffoni) and sees the involvement of the clinical area through the Orthopedics and Traumatology, Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Units and the Next Lab. Starting from the study of human biomechanics, the project outlines prosthesis and orthotic solutions customized for the patient, designed and manufactured through an innovative 3D printing process that integrates the enabling technologies of the IoT (Internet of Things) such as “additive manufacturing”, “virtual modeling” and “cloud”. The role of the Inail Prosthesis Center in Budrio (Bo) and its Lametia Terme branch in the definition of the manufacturing process with latest generation 3D printing and the experimental verification of the developed technologies.