About Me
I am a Professor and Chair of Neuromechanical Engineering at the University of Twente where I direct the Neuromechanical Modelling & Engineering Lab.
My research focuses on understanding how human movement emerges from the interplay between the nervous and the musculoskeletal systems. My goal is to translate such knowledge for the development of symbiotic assistive robots such as exoskeletons and bionic limbs.
On these topics I have obtained prestigious blue-sky research fundings (e.g., European Research Council), I have contributed to develop widely used open-source software (e.g., CEINMS, MyoSuite) and I have created patented technology with leading companies (e.g, OttoBock HealthCare).
I conducted my PhD (2009-2011) across the Universities of Padova (Italy), Western Australia (Australia) and Stanford (USA). I continued with a post-doc at the University of Göttingen (Germany, 2011) where I become Junior Research Group Leader in 2015. Since In April 2017 I joined the University of Twente as a tenure-track scientist where I am leading an expanding independent research group.
Throughout my career I received awards (e.g. OpenSim Outstanding Research), was guest editor in academic journals (e.g. IEEE TBME, Front Comput Neurosci), and was Workshop Chair at leading congresses (e.g. IEEE BioRob 2018) in the field.
I am currently chairing the IEEE RAS Technical Committee on BioRobotics. I am Associate Editor at the IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering: https://www.embs.org/tnsre/associate-editors/. Moreover, I am a member of leading scientific societies spanning across the fields of robotics and biomechanics including: IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, IEEE International Consortium on Rehabilitation Robotics, and European Society of Biomechanics.
More about me via the UT Featured Scientist page.
Keywords: model-based control; model-based myoelectric control; wearable robot; electromyography; neuromechanics; biomechanics; neuromusculoskeletal modelling; human movement.
Expertise
Organisations
Ancillary Activities
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IEEE
Associate Editor at the IEEE Transactions of Neural System and Rehabilitation Engineering
Research
For detailed information about my research please visit my research group website.
My goal is to establish a unique roadmap for discovering fundamental principles of movement at the interface between humans and machines. My research focuses on understanding the neuro-musculo-skeletal mechanisms underlying human movement and how these are altered by impairment. I apply neuro-mechanical modelling and electrophysiological signal processing, in a translational way, to develop real-time model-based control technologies for restoring natural motor function and for enhancing human health.
Software Highlights:
- MyoSuite: An embodied AI platform that unifies neural and motor intelligence Vittorio Caggiano, Huawei Wang, Guillaume Durandau, Massimo Sartori, Vikash Kumar. Link to Website.
- NeurIPS-MyoChallenge 2023: Learning Physiological Agility & Dexterity. Coming up too at this Website.
- NeurIPS-MyoChallenge 2022: Learning contact-rich manipulation using a musculoskeletal hand. Vittorio Caggiano, Huawei Wang, Guillaume Durandau, Seungmoon Song, Yuval Tassa, Massimo Sartori, Vikash Kumar. Link to Website.
- MyoSim: Fast and physiologically realistic MuJoCo models for musculoskeletal and exoskeletal studies. Huawei Wang*, Vittorio Caggiano*, Guillaume Durandau, Massimo Sartori, Vikash Kumar. Link to Website.
- CEINMS: A toolbox to investigate the influence of different neural control solutions on the prediction of muscle excitation and joint moments during dynamic motor tasks. Claudio Pizzolato, David G Lloyd, Massimo Sartori, Elena Ceseracciu, Thor F Besier, Benjamin J Fregly, Monica Reggiani. Link to Website.
- MOtoNMS: A MATLAB toolbox to process motion data for neuromusculoskeletal modeling and simulation. A Mantoan, C Pizzolato, M Sartori, Z Sawacha, C Cobelli, M Reggiani. Website.
Check out how we interface humans with wearable robot:
- Check my Lab: Neuromechanical Modelling and Engineering Lab.
- Check example videos on my Lab's YouTube Channel.
- See our publications below:
Publications
UT Research Information System
Google Scholar Link
Education
Affiliated Study Programmes
Master
Courses Academic Year 2023/2024
Courses Academic Year 2022/2023
Projects
In 2016 and 2018 I was awarded a EU H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (MIMICS) and an ERC Starting Grant (INTERACT) respectively. In 2023 I obtained an ERC Proof of Concept Grant (SMARTSEMS). I am co-leading a EU H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network on Bionic Limb Control (SimBionics), an EU-EFRO project on smart sensing garments for stroke rehabilitation (GUTs), an EU H2020 Project of human-robot interaction for injury risk prevention (SOPHIA). I am involved in a NWO Perspectief project on wearable robotics.
I previously led scientific activities on neuro-mechanical modelling and prosthetic/orthotic technologies on European and National projects including the ERC Advanced Grant DEMOVE (2011-2016), the FP7 EU Project H2R (2013-2016) and the BMBF Innovation Cluster INOPRO (2016-2020). I have served as Scientific Advisory Board member in the FP7 EU Project BioMot (2013-2016).
Current Projects
Finished Projects
Media
In the press
A selection of news items
- Collaboration with Meta AI: Machine learning meets fingers, hands and elbows for enhanced robotic therapy | News | CORDIS | European Commission (europa.eu)
- The EU Research Magazine featuring an article on my ERC Starting Grant INTERACT: https://issuu.com/euresearcher/docs/interact_eur33_h_res
- My Lab's research featured as part of the University Funding Campaign: Biologische kunstorganen en Biorobotica Looppakken.
- My Shaping 2030 interview on academia careers.
- My Featured Scientist Page from the University of Twente.
- My Best supervisor award from Twente Graduate School.
- Our work on model-based control featured on VPRO National Science Quitz (2018)
- My talk at the University Dies Natalis 2018
- ERC Starting Grant awarded on model-based control and human-machine interaction (2018)
- Model-based myocontrol of prostheses on NU.nl (2018)
- Towards bionic limbs controlled via spinal motor neuron discharges on Nature Biomed Eng (2018)
- Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal Modelling (2017)
- Biomimetic Humanoid Robotics (2017)
- My Google Plus Account
Tweets
Contact Details
Visiting Address
University of Twente
Faculty of Engineering Technology
Horst Complex
(building no. 20), room W111
De Horst 2
7522LW Enschede
The Netherlands
Mailing Address
University of Twente
Faculty of Engineering Technology
Horst Complex
W111
P.O. Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands
Working days
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