Lorenzo Masia, PhD
Professor Dr (W3)
Chair in "Intelligent BioRobotics Systems"
Deputy Director of Munich Institute for Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI)
School of Computation Information and Technology
Department of Computer Engineering
Technische Universität München
Germany

Keynote Title: Enhancing Human Performance with Wearable Robotics and Machine Learning

Abstract: In the dynamic field of assistive technology, soft wearable exosuits represent a significant breakthrough, setting them apart from traditional rigid exoskeletons. However, the complexity of mastering soft structures is significant: it involves not just handling the non-linear dynamics of the device but also accurately interpreting the physiological signals that are crucial to the exploit a human control loop control. My talk will cover the latest advancements from my team over the past five years, detailing our development of compact, robust, reliable, and efficient exosuits. I will discuss the critical role of integrating biomechanical modelling into control strategies to customize how the machine interacts with the user’s biomechanics, aiming to enhance human performance in tasks like collaborating with industrial manipuilators or improving running endurance. I will also introduce a new method called 'Context Aware Control,' which combines traditional control techniques with machine learning, including artificial vision, to fine-tune the assistance provided. This approach endows our exosuits with the unique ability to adapt to varying external conditions or environmental changes, significantly improving the user's integration with these wearable robotic systems.

Biography: Lorenzo Masia began his career in mechanical engineering with a degree from Sapienza University of Rome in 2003, followed by a PhD from the University of Padua in 2007. His initial steps into robotics were marked by two-year as researcher at MIT's Newman Lab for Biomechanics and Human Rehabilitation, spanning from January 2005 to December 2006.

He took on the role of Team Leader at the Italian Institute of Technology, specifically in the Robotics Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department. By 2013, Masia he was an Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University of Singapore in the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, where he remained until 2018 and later progressed at the University of Twente, where he held the position of Associate Professor in Biodesign. Professor Masia has been at Heidelberg University in Germany (2019-2024), serving as a Full Professor in Biorobotics & Medical Technology, where he founded the ARIES Lab, focusing on Assistive Robotics and Interactive ExoSuits at the Institute of Computer Engineering (ZITI).

From the 1st of October 2024, he is Professor in “Intelligent BioRobotic Systems” and Deputy Director of the Munich Institute for Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Professor Masia's work has garnered international acclaim, evidenced by multiple awards at leading conferences in Biorobotics and Robotic Rehabilitation, including two IEEE Best Paper Awards and three IEEE Best Student Paper Awards, among others. In addition to his research and teaching, Professor Masia holds significant editorial roles with several prestigious journals, IEEE TRO, IEEE RAL, IEEE TNSRE, JNER and Wearable Technologies. He has also played key roles as Program Chair in organizing major IEEE RAS conferences in the field, and he has been the General Chair for IEEE RAS EMBS BIOROB 2024 (1-4 September 2024, Heidelberg, Germany).

Rita Raman, PhD
Eugene Bell Career Development Assistant Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Keynote Title: Leveraging Biological Actuators for Soft Robotics

Abstract: Human beings and other biological creatures navigate unpredictable and dynamic environments by combining compliant mechanical actuators (skeletal muscle) with neural control and sensory feedback. Abiotic actuators, by contrast, have yet to match their biological counterparts in their ability to autonomously sense and adapt their form and function to changing environments. We have shown that engineered skeletal muscle actuators, controlled by neuronal networks, can generate force and power functional behaviors such as walking and pumping in a range of untethered robots. These muscle-powered robots are dynamically responsive to mechanical stimuli and are capable of complex functional behaviors like exercise-mediated strengthening and healing in response to damage. Our lab uses engineered bioactuators as a platform to understand neuromuscular architecture and function in physiological and pathological states, restore mobility after disease and damage, and power adaptive soft machines. This talk will cover the advantages, challenges, and future directions of understanding and manipulating the mechanics of biological motor control systems.

Biography: Ritu Raman, PhD is the Eugene Bell Career Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Her lab is centered on 4D tissue engineering of biological actuators for applications in medicine and machines. Ritu's research has received several recognitions including the PECASE, the NSF CAREER Award, the Army Research Office YIP Award, and the Office of Naval Research YIP Award, as well as Rising Star Junior Faculty Awards from the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She is also the recipient of the Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching at MIT and the author of the MIT Press book Biofabrication. Ritu received her BS from Cornell University and her PhD as an NSF Fellow with Prof. Rashid Bashir at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She completed her postdoctoral research as a L'Oréal For Women in Science Fellow and NASEM Ford Foundation Fellow with Prof. Robert Langer at MIT.