Robotics Lab Mission

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Lab News

Our Mission

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Posted By Dr. Jim Patton & Dr. Ferdinando Mussa-Ivaldi

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Our research is aimed at understanding the sensory-motor system through close interaction with artificial systems. Specifically, we are interested in determining how the brain acquires, organizes, and executes motor behaviors. We use robotic technologies to investigate how humans adapt to radical changes in body mechanics.

Consistent evidence indicates that the nervous system is capable of coping with changes in the body and in the environment by developing internal representations of relationship between control signals and their motor consequences. In this sense, motor learning is not only about improving performance. Motor learning is a means by which our brain develops an understanding of the physical and statistical properties of the world.  We are studying the basic properties of this learning process and how it may be exploited to facilitate rehabilitation. Other studies within our group are directed at facilitating bidirectional communications between the human body and artificial instruments. We wish to combine the biological mechanisms of learning with machine learning algorithms for reducing the burden that patients are currently experiencing for the efficient operation of systems such as powered wheelchairs and other assistive devices. In a nutshell: we want to create systems that learn and adapt to their users.

Understanding how the brain controls motor behavior is of clinical interest since alterations in neuromotor control due to stroke and other neurological impairments can severely limit motor function. Through our research, we wish to create knowledge that can help restore motor functions in individuals with neurological disorders.

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Our Team Members:

Title

Last Name

First Name

Email

Director

Mussa-Ivaldi

Sandro

sandro@northwestern.edu

Director

Patton

Jim

pattonj@uic.edu

Faculty

Huang

Felix

Felix.Huang@tufts.edu

Postdoctoral Fellow

De Santis

Dalia

 

Lab Engineer

Barry

Alexander

abarry@sralab.org

Lab Engineer

Hajissa

Eyad

 

Lab Engineer

Pacholski

Kathleen

 

Lab Engineer

Qian

Kai

 

Lab Engineer

Triandafilou

Kristen

 

Grad Student

Mintz

Joel

 

Grad Student

Smith

Marsalis

 

Grad Student

Thorp

Elias

 

Grad Student

Portnova

Sasha

 

Grad Student

Rizzoglio

Fabio

fabio.rizzoglio@northwestern.edu

Grad Student

Abdel majeed

Yazan

 

Grad Student

Maharithi

Biswajit

 

Grad Student

Parmar

Pritesh

 

Grad Student

Shah

Amit

 

Grad Student

Wright

Zach