Emiliano Ricciardi
University of Pisa, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Bioservo Technologies (Sweden)
Papers
11
Total Citations
523
H-Index
7
About
Emiliano Ricciardi is a leading researcher at the intersection of neuroscience and robotics, whose work fundamentally explores how the human brain controls movement—and how that knowledge can be used to build better artificial hands and human-robot interactions. His most influential contribution is the concept of “hand synergies,” a framework that integrates robotic control principles with neuroscientific understanding of motor coordination, as detailed in his highly cited 2016 paper (297 citations). Ricciardi has also made pioneering strides in social neuroscience, using fMRI to dissect how the brain distinguishes between human and robotic agents, revealing distinct neural systems for animacy and agency (117 citations). His work extends to rehabilitation and neuroimaging innovation: he led the creation of the U-Limb database (41 citations), a multi-modal resource for studying arm control in stroke patients, and developed the first magnetic-compatible supernumerary robotic finger for use inside fMRI scanners. By bridging the gap between sensorimotor synergies and robotic design, Ricciardi’s research not only advances fundamental knowledge of the human motor system but also directly informs the development of assistive technologies and more natural human-robot interaction.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Distinct Neural Systems Involved in Agency and Animacy Detection117 citations · 2010
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- 7Neural correlates of human-robot handshaking10 citations · 2010
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- 10FMRI Compatible Sensing Glove for Hand Gesture Monitoring2 citations · 2012