Giulia Ballardini

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About

Giulia Ballardini is a researcher at the intersection of robotics, human-machine interaction, and assistive technology. Her work focuses on developing intelligent systems that can assess human physical and emotional states to improve rehabilitation and human-robot collaboration. A key contribution is her pioneering use of robotic platforms for balance assessment, as demonstrated in her most-cited paper, "Robot-based assessment of sitting and standing balance: preliminary results in Parkinson’s disease" (2019, 18 citations). This work introduced novel protocols for evaluating postural instability in Parkinson’s disease, a critical predictor of fall risk, addressing a significant gap in clinical assessment tools. Ballardini has also advanced affective computing, notably in "Automatic Frustration Detection Using Thermal Imaging" (2022, 12 citations), where she explored non-invasive methods for robots to detect user frustration in real time—a crucial step toward seamless human-robot interaction. Additionally, her research on controlling assistive robotic manipulators via non-linear body-machine interfaces (2021, 3 citations) highlights her commitment to empowering individuals with motor impairments. By combining robotics, sensing, and machine learning, Ballardini’s work is shaping more responsive, adaptive assistive technologies that enhance quality of life for people with neurological conditions.