Niccolò Vanni

University of Florence

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Rocco Furferi

University of Florence

Yary Volpe

University of Florence

Luca Puggelli

University of Florence

Lapo Governi

University of Florence

Francesco Buonamici

University of Florence

Matteo Bianchi

Politecnico di Milano

Monica Carfagni

University of Florence

Cooperative Institutions

University of Florence

Florence (Netherlands)

Beihang University

Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi

University of Rome Tor Vergata

University of the Basque Country

Tianjin University

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Takeda (Japan)

RWTH Aachen University

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Design and Optimization of a Flexion/Extension Mechanism for a Hand Exoskeleton System

Matteo Bianchi Francesco Buonamici Rocco Furferi Niccolò Vanni

Hand impairments represent a significant category of injuries, which can be limiting and impeding in the execution of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). As can be widely appreciated in scientific literature, a great number of solutions has been proposed in last years for rehabilitating and assisting the patient in both mechanical (e.g. object manipulation) and also social tasks (e.g. shaking hands). Among the numerous approaches, robotic Hand Exoskeleton Systems (HES) represent a vast class of solutions to the problem, as they have several advantages. Contrarily to functional electrical stimulation techniques, for example, HES devices are less invasive and entail to a lesser induced muscular fatigue. In the present work, the authors propose the redesign of a HES robotic device developed at the University of Florence, by means of Topological Optimization (TO) techniques. Even if the existing device is already functional and tested it is still characterized by high encumbrances and masses, in disrespect to the functional requirements. The redesign process has been addressed to a future production of the final object prototype in a titanium alloy, by means of an Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing machine. The entire procedure was carried out starting from a complete kinematic and dynamic study, followed by the application of TO techniques and it was finally validated by Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis. A single-finger mechanism prototype has been fabricated through additive manufacturing (by means of PolyJet technology) to test the ergonomics and aesthetics of the device. The problem is introduced and contextualized in the Introduction section, while the methodology is subsequently extensively explained, followed by the presentation of the results. In the Conclusion section, the discussion of the process and the result is presented, while possible improving and developments are briefly hinted at.

Functional electrical stimulation

Powered exoskeleton

Limiting

10.1115/detc2016-59466

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Citations (8)

From 2D to 2.5D i.e. from painting to tactile model

Graphical Models (2014)

Rocco Furferi Lapo Governi Yary Volpe Luca Puggelli Niccolò Vanni

Representation

10.1016/j.gmod.2014.10.001

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Citations (32)

Tactile exploration of paintings: An interactive procedure for the reconstruction of 2.5D models

Lapo Governi Rocco Furferi Yary Volpe Luca Puggelli Niccolò Vanni

Cultural heritage is often not accessible to visually impaired and blind people, hardly ever when dealing with two-dimensional artworks like, for instance, paintings. In fact, despite tactile reproductions of 3D works of art such as sculptures or architectural models are quite common, a real barrier between blind people and pictorial artworks still exists, obviously due to their intrinsic 2D format. The translation of paintings into bas-relieves is recognized to be one of the most effective ways for breaking down such a barrier, thus allowing a sensible improvement in blind people's accessibility to this kind of works of art. Moving from these considerations, in this work the authors want to provide a bird's eye view on a new methodology for the semi-automatic generation of tactile 3D models starting from paintings, in particular those characterized by single-point perspective. The proposed method relies on an interactive Computer-based modelling procedure, which is conceived to be simple and effective to use. The procedure, which has been implemented into a prototypal software package, has been effectively used to "translate" a set of paintings from the Italian Renaissance.

10.1109/med.2014.6961319

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Citations (6)