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1. A Human–Robot Interaction Perspective on Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics

Author

Philipp Beckerle, Gionata Salvietti, Ramazan Unal, Domenico Prattichizzo, Simone Rossi, Claudio Castellini, Sandra Hirche, Satoshi Endo, Heni Ben Amor, Matei Ciocarlie, Fulvio Mastrogiovanni, Brenna D. Argall, and Matteo Bianchi

Subjects
human–robot interaction, human-oriented design, learning and control, sensory feedback, affective computing, functional assessment, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
Abstract

Assistive and rehabilitation devices are a promising and challenging field of recent robotics research. Motivated by societal needs such as aging populations, such devices can support motor functionality and subject training. The design, control, sensing, and assessment of the devices become more sophisticated due to a human in the loop. This paper gives a human–robot interaction perspective on current issues and opportunities in the field. On the topic of control and machine learning, approaches that support but do not distract subjects are reviewed. Options to provide sensory user feedback that are currently missing from robotic devices are outlined. Parallels between device acceptance and affective computing are made. Furthermore, requirements for functional assessment protocols that relate to real-world tasks are discussed. In all topic areas, the design of human-oriented frameworks and methods is dominated by challenges related to the close interaction between the human and robotic device. This paper discusses the aforementioned aspects in order to open up new perspectives for future robotic solutions.

Published
2017
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2. Learning to Control Complex Robots Using High-Dimensional Interfaces: Preliminary Insights

Author

Lee, Jongmin M., Gebrekristos, Temesgen, De Santis, Dalia, Nejati-Javaremi, Mahdieh, Gopinath, Deepak, Parikh, Biraj, Mussa-Ivaldi, Ferdinando A., and Argall, Brenna D.

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics, Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science - Human-Computer Interaction
Abstract

Human body motions can be captured as a high-dimensional continuous signal using motion sensor technologies. The resulting data can be surprisingly rich in information, even when captured from persons with limited mobility. In this work, we explore the use of limited upper-body motions, captured via motion sensors, as inputs to control a 7 degree-of-freedom assistive robotic arm. It is possible that even dense sensor signals lack the salient information and independence necessary for reliable high-dimensional robot control. As the human learns over time in the context of this limitation, intelligence on the robot can be leveraged to better identify key learning challenges, provide useful feedback, and support individuals until the challenges are managed. In this short paper, we examine two uninjured participants' data from an ongoing study, to extract preliminary results and share insights. We observe opportunities for robot intelligence to step in, including the identification of inconsistencies in time spent across all control dimensions, asymmetries in individual control dimensions, and user progress in learning. Machine reasoning about these situations may facilitate novel interface learning in the future., Comment: Presented at AI-HRI symposium as part of AAAI-FSS 2021 (arXiv:2109.10836)

Published
2021

5. Information Theoretic Intent Disambiguation via Contextual Nudges for Assistive Shared Control

Author

Gopinath, Deepak E., Thompson, Andrew, Argall, Brenna D., Siciliano, Bruno, Series Editor, Khatib, Oussama, Series Editor, Antonelli, Gianluca, Advisory Editor, Fox, Dieter, Advisory Editor, Harada, Kensuke, Advisory Editor, Hsieh, M. Ani, Advisory Editor, Kröger, Torsten, Advisory Editor, Kulic, Dana, Advisory Editor, Park, Jaeheung, Advisory Editor, LaValle, Steven M., editor, O’Kane, Jason M., editor, Otte, Michael, editor, Sadigh, Dorsa, editor, and Tokekar, Pratap, editor

Published
2023
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6. Characterization of Assistive Robot Arm Teleoperation: A Preliminary Study to Inform Shared Control

Author

Javaremi, Mahdieh Nejati and Argall, Brenna D.

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

Assistive robotic devices can increase the independence of individuals with motor impairments. However, each person is unique in their level of injury, preferences, and skills, which moreover can change over time. Further, the amount of assistance required can vary throughout the day due to pain or fatigue, or over longer periods due to rehabilitation, debilitating conditions, or aging. Therefore, in order to become an effective team member, the assistive machine should be able to learn from and adapt to the human user. To do so, we need to be able to characterize the user's control commands to determine when and how autonomy should change to best assist the user. We perform a 20 person pilot study in order to establish a set of meaningful performance measures which can be used to characterize the user's control signals and as cues for the autonomy to modify the level and amount of assistance. Our study includes 8 spinal cord injured and 12 uninjured individuals. The results unveil a set of objective, runtime-computable metrics that are correlated with user-perceived task difficulty, and thus could be used by an autonomy system when deciding whether assistance is required. The results further show that metrics which evaluate the user interaction with the robotic device, robot execution, and the perceived task difficulty show differences among spinal cord injured and uninjured groups, and are affected by the type of control interface used. The results will be used to develop an adaptable, user-centered, and individually customized shared-control algorithms., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables

Published
2020

7. Customized Handling of Unintended Interface Operation in Assistive Robots

Author

Gopinath, Deepak, Javaremi, Mahdieh Nejati, and Argall, Brenna D.

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics, Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence
Abstract

We present an assistance system that reasons about a human's intended actions during robot teleoperation in order to provide appropriate corrections for unintended behavior. We model the human's physical interaction with a control interface during robot teleoperation and distinguish between intended and measured physical actions explicitly. By reasoning over the unobserved intentions using model-based inference techniques, our assistive system provides customized corrections on a user's issued commands. We validate our algorithm with a 10-person human subject study in which we evaluate the performance of the proposed assistance paradigms. Our results show that the assistance paradigms helped to significantly reduce task completion time, number of mode switches, cognitive workload, and user frustration and improve overall user satisfaction., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, preprint

Published
2020

8. Active Intent Disambiguation for Shared Control Robots

Author

Gopinath, Deepak E. and Argall, Brenna D.

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics, Computer Science - Human-Computer Interaction
Abstract

Assistive shared-control robots have the potential to transform the lives of millions of people afflicted with severe motor impairments. The usefulness of shared-control robots typically relies on the underlying autonomy's ability to infer the user's needs and intentions, and the ability to do so unambiguously is often a limiting factor for providing appropriate assistance confidently and accurately. The contributions of this paper are four-fold. First, we introduce the idea of intent disambiguation via control mode selection, and present a mathematical formalism for the same. Second, we develop a control mode selection algorithm which selects the control mode in which the user-initiated motion helps the autonomy to maximally disambiguate user intent. Third, we present a pilot study with eight subjects to evaluate the efficacy of the disambiguation algorithm. Our results suggest that the disambiguation system (a) helps to significantly reduce task effort, as measured by number of button presses, and (b) is of greater utility for more limited control interfaces and more complex tasks. We also observe that (c) subjects demonstrated a wide range of disambiguation request behaviors, with the common thread of concentrating requests early in the execution. As our last contribution, we introduce a novel field-theoretic approach to intent inference inspired by dynamic field theory that works in tandem with the disambiguation scheme.

Published
2020
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16. Suspicion of motives predicts minorities' responses to positive feedback in interracial interactions

Author

Major, Brenda, Kunstman, Jonathan W, Malta, Brenna D, Sawyer, Pamela J, Townsend, Sarah SM, and Mendes, Wendy Berry

Subjects
Behavioral and Social Science, Clinical Research, Prejudice, Stigma, Prejudice concerns, Attributional ambiguity, Intergroup interactions, Trust, Political correctness, attributional ambiguity, intergroup interactions, political correctness, prejudice, prejudice concerns, stigma, trust, Psychology, Cognitive Sciences, Social Psychology
Abstract

Strong social and legal norms in the United States discourage the overt expression of bias against ethnic and racial minorities, increasing the attributional ambiguity of Whites' positive behavior to ethnic minorities. Minorities who suspect that Whites' positive overtures toward minorities are motivated more by their fear of appearing racist than by egalitarian attitudes may regard positive feedback they receive from Whites as disingenuous. This may lead them to react to such feedback with feelings of uncertainty and threat. Three studies examined how suspicion of motives relates to ethnic minorities' responses to receiving positive feedback from a White peer or same-ethnicity peer (Experiment 1), to receiving feedback from a White peer that was positive or negative (Experiment 2), and to receiving positive feedback from a White peer who did or did not know their ethnicity (Experiment 3). As predicted, the more suspicious Latinas were of Whites' motives for behaving positively toward minorities in general, the more they regarded positive feedback from a White peer who knew their ethnicity as disingenuous and the more they reacted with cardiovascular reactivity characteristic of threat/avoidance, increased feelings of stress, heightened uncertainty, and decreased self-esteem. We discuss the implications for intergroup interactions of perceptions of Whites' motives for nonprejudiced behavior.

Published
2016

18. Collaborative Teacher-Driven Professional Development: The Documented Journey of a Practitioner Action Research Teacher Study Group

Author

Bohny, Brenna D.

Abstract

Laws such as the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (NCLB) and the "Every Student Succeeds Act" have shaped the landscape of education in many ways, including how professional development is structured. As a result, professional development has become increasingly limited to "training" teachers to carry out top-down mandated reforms based on subject-knowledge rather than concentrating on teacher learning efforts focused on the growth of adults as learners (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2006, 2009; Hirsch, 2006; Mertler, 2010). Organic, teacher-driven professional development, such as action research, provide teachers with opportunities to disrupt the often paternalistic power structures that currently exist. The purpose of this practitioner action research study was to examine professional learning within a teacher-driven study group. The study group consisted of seven secondary level English and social studies teachers, including myself, where we self-selected topics to examine that we believed were important. I was guided by the following research question: What does professional development look like when we, as teachers, gather to examine elements of classroom practice that are meaningful to us? I utilized James Paul Gee's (2004, 2007, 2015) affinity space concept as a useful lens to make meaning of these organic, collaborative learning experiences. I found that despite conducting professional development without administrative oversight, the group initially found it difficult to avoid replicating traditional professional development structures. However, once the group was able to break the unspoken rules that govern traditional professional development, concepts such as expertise, space, and funding could be challenged. Additionally, I found that not only did the study group adjust to meet our changing needs but we also grew professionally as our work created ripple effects as we shared what we learned with others. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Published
2018

40. Oxidized phospholipid oxPAPC induces a Th1-like phenotype in regulatory T cells and inhibits their protective function in atherosclerosis

Author

Brenna D. Appleton, Sydney A. Palmer, Harrison P. Smith, Lilly E. Stephens, and Amy S. Major

Abstract

BackgroundRegulatory T cells (Tregs) are protective in atherosclerosis but reduced during disease progression due to cell death and loss of stability. However, the mechanisms of Tregdysfunction remain unknown. Oxidized phospholipids (oxPLs) are abundant in atherosclerosis and can activate innate immune cells, but there is limited information regarding their impact on T cells. Given Tregloss during atherosclerosis progression and oxPL levels in the plaque microenvironment, we sought to determine whether oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (oxPAPC), an oxPL associated with atherosclerotic plaques, alters Tregdifferentiation and function.MethodsNaïve CD4+T cells were cultured under Treg,Th1, and Th17 polarizing conditions with or without oxPAPC and assessed by flow cytometry. Gene expression in oxPAPC-treated Tregswas analyzed by bulk RNA sequencing. Functional studies of oxPAPC-induced Tregswere performed by co-culturing Tregswith CTV-labeled CD8+cellsin vitro. In vivosuppression of atherosclerosis was evaluated by adoptively transferring control or oxPAPC-treated Tregsto hyperlipidemicLdlr-/-mice.ResultsCompared to controls, oxPAPC-treated Tregswere less viable but expressed higher levels of the Th1-associated markers T-bet, CXCR3, and IFN-γ. Th1 and Th17 skewing cultures were unaltered by oxPAPC. IFN-γ is linked to Treginstability, thus Tregpolarization experiments were repeated usingIfngr1-/-CD4+T cells. IFNγR1 deficiency did not improve cell viability in oxPAPC-treated Tregs, however, T-bet and IFN-γ expression was not increased suggesting a role for IFN-γ signaling. OxPAPC-treated Tregswere less suppressivein vitro, and adoptive transfer studies in hyperlipidemicLdlr-/-mice showed that oxPAPC-induced Tregspossessed altered tissue homing and were insufficient to inhibit atherosclerosis progression.ConclusionsOxPAPC elicits Treg-specific changes that induce a Th1-like phenotype dependent on IFN-γ signaling. This is biologically relevant as oxPAPC-treated Tregsare unable to reduce atherosclerosis progression inLdlr-/-mice. This study supports a role for oxPLs in negatively impacting Tregdifferentiation and atheroprotective function.

Published
2023

50. MEDTEC students against coronavirus: Investigating the role of hemostatic genes in the predisposition to COVID-19 severity

Author

Cappadona, C, Paraboschi, E, Ziliotto, N, Bottaro, S, Rimoldi, V, Gerussi, A, Azimonti, A, Brenna, D, Brunati, A, Cameroni, C, Campanaro, G, Carloni, F, Cavadini, G, Ciravegna, M, Composto, A, Converso, G, Corbella, P, D'Eugenio, D, Ri, G, Di Giorgio, S, Grondelli, M, Guerrera, L, Laffoucriere, G, Lando, B, Lopedote, L, Maizza, B, Marconi, E, Mariola, C, Matronola, G, Menga, L, Montorsi, G, Papatolo, A, Patti, R, Profeta, L, Rebasti, V, Smidili, A, Tarchi, S, Tartaglia, F, Tettamanzi, G, Tinelli, E, Stuani, R, Bolchini, C, Pattini, L, Invernizzi, P, Degenhardt, F, Franke, A, Duga, S, Asselta, R, Cappadona C., Paraboschi E. M., Ziliotto N., Bottaro S., Rimoldi V., Gerussi A., Azimonti A., Brenna D., Brunati A., Cameroni C., Campanaro G., Carloni F., Cavadini G., Ciravegna M., Composto A., Converso G., Corbella P., D'eugenio D., Ri G. D., Di Giorgio S. M., Grondelli M. C., Guerrera L., Laffoucriere G., Lando B., Lopedote L., Maizza B., Marconi E., Mariola C., Matronola G. M., Menga L. M., Montorsi G., Papatolo A., Patti R., Profeta L., Rebasti V., Smidili A., Tarchi S. M., Tartaglia F. C., Tettamanzi G., Tinelli E., Stuani R., Bolchini C., Pattini L., Invernizzi P., Degenhardt F., Franke A., Duga S., Asselta R., Cappadona, C, Paraboschi, E, Ziliotto, N, Bottaro, S, Rimoldi, V, Gerussi, A, Azimonti, A, Brenna, D, Brunati, A, Cameroni, C, Campanaro, G, Carloni, F, Cavadini, G, Ciravegna, M, Composto, A, Converso, G, Corbella, P, D'Eugenio, D, Ri, G, Di Giorgio, S, Grondelli, M, Guerrera, L, Laffoucriere, G, Lando, B, Lopedote, L, Maizza, B, Marconi, E, Mariola, C, Matronola, G, Menga, L, Montorsi, G, Papatolo, A, Patti, R, Profeta, L, Rebasti, V, Smidili, A, Tarchi, S, Tartaglia, F, Tettamanzi, G, Tinelli, E, Stuani, R, Bolchini, C, Pattini, L, Invernizzi, P, Degenhardt, F, Franke, A, Duga, S, Asselta, R, Cappadona C., Paraboschi E. M., Ziliotto N., Bottaro S., Rimoldi V., Gerussi A., Azimonti A., Brenna D., Brunati A., Cameroni C., Campanaro G., Carloni F., Cavadini G., Ciravegna M., Composto A., Converso G., Corbella P., D'eugenio D., Ri G. D., Di Giorgio S. M., Grondelli M. C., Guerrera L., Laffoucriere G., Lando B., Lopedote L., Maizza B., Marconi E., Mariola C., Matronola G. M., Menga L. M., Montorsi G., Papatolo A., Patti R., Profeta L., Rebasti V., Smidili A., Tarchi S. M., Tartaglia F. C., Tettamanzi G., Tinelli E., Stuani R., Bolchini C., Pattini L., Invernizzi P., Degenhardt F., Franke A., Duga S., and Asselta R.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Besides virus intrinsic characteristics, the host genetic makeup is predicted to account for the extreme clinical heterogeneity of the disease, which is characterized, among other manifestations, by a derangement of hemostasis associated with thromboembolic events. To date, large-scale studies confirmed that genetic predisposition plays a role in COVID-19 severity, pinpointing several susceptibility genes, often characterized by immunologic functions. With these premises, we performed an association study of common variants in 32 hemostatic genes with COVID-19 severity. We investigated 49,845 single-nucleotide polymorphism in a cohort of 332 Italian severe COVID-19 patients and 1668 controls from the general population. The study was conducted engaging a class of students attending the second year of the MEDTEC school (a six-year program, held in collaboration between Humanitas University and the Politecnico of Milan, allowing students to gain an MD in Medicine and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering). Thanks to their willingness to participate in the fight against the pandemic, we evidenced several suggestive hits (p < 0.001), involving the PROC, MTHFR, MTR, ADAMTS13, and THBS2 genes (top signal in PROC: chr2:127192625:G:A, OR = 2.23, 95%CI = 1.50–3.34, p = 8.77 × 10−5). The top signals in PROC, MTHFR, MTR, ADAMTS13 were instrumental for the construction of a polygenic risk score, whose distribution was significantly different between cases and controls (p = 1.62 × 10−8 for difference in median levels). Finally, a meta-analysis performed using data from the Regeneron database confirmed the contribution of the MTHFR variant chr1:11753033:G:A to the predisposition to severe COVID-19 (pooled OR = 1.21, 95%CI = 1.09–1.33, p = 4.34 × 10−14 in the weighted analysis).

Published
2021

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