Roberta Annicchiaricco

Fondazione Santa Lucia, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Roberta Annicchiaricco is a leading researcher in assistive robotics, with a primary focus on developing intelligent, collaborative control systems for powered wheelchairs. Her work addresses a critical challenge in rehabilitation engineering: providing robotic assistance to individuals with severe physical disabilities without fostering over-dependence. Annicchiaricco’s major contribution is the concept of “biometrically modulated collaborative control,” a paradigm that dynamically adjusts the level of robotic assistance based on the user’s real-time performance and physiological state. Rather than a simple on/off switch between human and machine control, her systems continuously blend user input with robotic guidance, ensuring that the wheelchair provides just enough help to complete a task while encouraging the user to retain and exercise their residual motor skills. This approach is detailed in her most cited work, “Biometrically Modulated Collaborative Control for an Assistive Wheelchair” (2010, 19 citations), and further refined in subsequent papers on efficiency-based modulation (2010, 16 citations) and adaptive learning via case-based reasoning (2009, 10 citations). By pioneering a model of shared control that prioritizes user autonomy and skill preservation, Annicchiaricco has made a lasting impact on the design of human-centered assistive technologies.