Users’ Body Experience and Human-Machine Interfaces in (Assistive) Robotics

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Philipp Beckerle
• Subject Area: Human Factors, Ergonomics, Human-Machine Systems ; Automation, Mechatronics, Control Systems, Intelligent Technical Systems, Robotics
• Term: from 2018 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 407512192

• Final Report Year: 2019

Final Report Abstract

The scientific network „Users’ Body Experience and Human-Machine Interfaces in (Assistive) Robotics” dealt with the body experience of individuals using assistive robots or other body/user-proximal robotic devices. The objectives of the scientific network were to explore the technical potential of improving experience by appropriate human-robot interfaces and robot designs. Therefore, the participants jointly analyzed and discussed measures to assess experience and consider it in novel design methods. This included the identification of promising perceptual channels as well as the preparation of foot- and hand-robots for the experimental investigation of rubber limb illusions and interface designs. From a technical perspective, highdensity human-machine interfaces that include haptic feedback for bidirectional information exchange were identified to be very promising. It turned out that tactile stimuli might not only be used to give functional information, but may also involve components such as affective or social touch to holistically render the aspects of human body experience. Currently, no organizational structure covers the range of aspects considered in this scientific network. Besides closing this gap, the participants reviewed the importance of touch for assistive device embodiment in a joint publication. The network pathed the way for further joint research and follow-up projects, which will be continued and elaborated in the future.

Publications

• “Multichannel electrotactile feedback for simultaneous and proportional myoelectric control,” Journal of neural engineering, vol. 13, no. 5, 2016
  G.K. Patel, S. Dosen, C. Castellini, D. Farina
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2560/13/5/056015)
• (2017). A Human–robot interaction Perspective on Assistive and rehabilitation robotics. Frontiers in neurorobotics, 11, 24
  Beckerle, P., Salvietti, G., Unal, R., Prattichizzo, D., Rossi, S., Castellini, C., Hirche, S., Endo, S., Ciocarlie, M., Mastrogiovanni, F., Argall, B. D., & Bianchi, M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2017.00024)
• (2017). Contextdependent adaptation improves robustness of myoelectric control for upper-limb prostheses. Journal of neural engineering, 14(5), 056016
  Patel, G. K., Hahne, J. M., Castellini, C., Farina, D., & Dosen, S.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/aa7e82)
• (2017). When less is more–implicit preference for incomplete bodies in xenomelia. Journal of psychiatric research, 84, 249-255
  Macauda, G., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Brugger, P., & Lenggenhager, B.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.09.019)
• (2018). Design of a wearable robotic hand to investigate multisensory illusions and the bodily self of humans. In ISR 2018; 50th International Symposium on Robotics (pp. 1-6). VDE
  Huynh, V., Scherf, A., Bittner, A., Saetta, G., Lenggenhager, B., & Beckerle, P.
  
• (2018). Feel-good robotics: requirements on touch for embodiment in assistive robotics. Frontiers in neurorobotics, 12
  Beckerle, P., Kõiva, R., Kirchner, E. A., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Dosen, S., Christ, O., Abbink, D. A., Castellini C., & Lenggenhager, B.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2018.00084)
• (2018). Mechatronic designs for a robotic hand to explore human body experience and sensory-motor skills: a Delphi study. Advanced Robotics, 32(12), 670-680
  Beckerle, P., Bianchi, M., Castellini, C., & Salvietti, G.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01691864.2018.1489737)
• (2018). Robotic interfaces for cognitive psychology and embodiment research: A research roadmap. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, e1486
  Beckerle, P., Castellini, C., & Lenggenhager, B.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1486)
• (2019). Can wearable haptic devices foster the embodiment of virtual limbs?. IEEE transactions on haptics
  Fröhner, J., Salvietti, G., Beckerle, P., & Prattichizzo, D.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/TOH.2018.2889497)
• (2019). Robotic hand illusion with tactile feedback: Unravelling the relative contribution of visuotactile and visuomotor input to the representation of body parts in space. PloS one, 14(1), e0210058
  Huynh, T. V., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Fröhner, J., Vogt, J., & Beckerle, P.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210058)