Hybrid Sensorimotor Control
The central theme of our project is to use hybrid systems, mixing biological control with artificial devices, in order to (i) increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of sensorimotor control and (ii) exploit this knowledge to restore and optimize movement.
Team Composition
- Aymar de Rugy (DR2, CNRS, HDR, Team Leader)
- Daniel Cattaert (DR1, CNRS, HDR)
- Florent Paclet (MCU, University Bordeaux)
- Philippe Seyres (Physiotherapist - Osteopath, PhD)
- Christophe Halgand (IR2, CNRS, INCIA and Team Hybrid)
- Bianca Lento (PhD)
- Effie Segas (PhD)
- Vincent Leconte (Engineer)
Alumni
- Sébastien Mick (former PhD student, now in postdoc at ETIS)
- Matthieu Guemann (former PhD student and DGA Post-doctoral fellow, now employed at IRBA)
- Mathilde Couraud (former PhD student, now head of research at EA4T-airudit)
Themes
Theme 1: Myoelectric Arm Control with Sensory Substitution
Real-time myoelectric control of an elbow augmented with vibrotactile feedback of elbow position are designed to develop and test myoelectric controls with sensory substitution.
Theme 2: Biomechanics and Spinal Regulation
Real-time simulation of realistic musculoskeletal models, including the regulatory functions of spinal networks, are used to assess and reinstall important contributions from limbs biomechanics and from low level sensorimotor loops to movement control.
Theme 3: Robotic Arm Control (REACHY)
We develop the 3D printed robotic platform REACHY as a testbed for prosthesis and human-robot control strategies designed by our team on others.
Theme 4: Computer Vision and Gaze Information)
We explore possibilities to augment prosthesis control with gaze information and computer vision, using eye tracking and visual scene recognition to detect reaching intention of amputees and help in reaching motion.
Theme 5: Reaching in Virtual Reality
To further develop and test various control schemes, we developed a 3D virtual reality (VR) set-up for reaching and grasping with the arm.
Theme 6: Hybrid crayfish
We analyze the neuronal basis of sensorimotor circuits involved in locomotor network
operation and plasticity. Our studies combine cellular and integrative neurobiology (electrophysiology, pharmacology, neuro- anatomy), modeling (realistic simulations of neurones, networks and biomechanics) and hybrid system experiments (biological neural system interfaced with an artificial body).
Theme 7: Hand Biomechanics
The biomechanics theme of the Hybrid Sensorimotor Performance team aims at understanding how the CNS answers the redundancy issue (as pointed out by Bernstein, 1967) taking into account kinematic, dynamic and muscle tension data.
Theme 8: Morphogenesis and Biomechanics of Connective Tissues
We provide detailed analysis of the role and impact of connective tissues in the motor function and biomechanics through (i) the study of the motion of cell masses during morphogenesis, and (ii) dissections used to identify, map and qualify the connective tissues linking the different systems. Implications are considered in clinics, robotics, and biomechanical modelling.