International recognition: Erik Gasparini, PhD student at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, receives the Best PhD Student award promoted by Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS and Corriere della Sera
The award is promoted by Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS and Corriere della Sera. Gasparini was recognized for the development of LimbMATE, a bionic platform for the intuitive control of prosthetic limbs
Erik Gasparini, a PhD student in Biorobotics at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, received the “Best PhD Student” award promoted by Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS and Corriere della Sera, in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome. Gasparini was recognized for the development of LimbMATE, a bionic platform for the intuitive control of prosthetic limbs.
The award, now in its fourth edition, aims to promote the research projects of young researchers and PhD candidates working in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. The prize was presented during the latest edition of the RomeCup.
LimbMATE is a small, lightweight, low-cost, and versatile platform that can be integrated into most prosthetic sockets. It enables the interpretation of residual muscle activity in amputees and, thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms, translates it into natural and intuitive prosthetic control. In addition, it provides sensory feedback associated with relevant events, such as gentle vibrations when objects are grasped or released.
The platform was developed within the Artificial Hands Area of the Institute of BioRobotics, coordinated by Professor Christian Cipriani and under the supervision of researcher Enzo Mastinu.
“LimbMATE was developed in collaboration with the IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli as part of the national Fit4MedRob project,” said Erik Gasparini. “We have received ministerial approval to use the platform in a major clinical trial. Anyone interested in participating in the study may contact us at prosthesis.homestudy@ior.it (for transradial amputations) or bionic.arm@ior.it (for above-elbow amputations).”
Other finalists from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies
Among the finalists for the “Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence” award were also Marta Gherardini, Angela Sorriento, and Andrea Mariani from the spin-off Soundsafe Care.
