Tesi etd-07182025-092322
Link copiato negli appunti
Tipo di tesi
Dottorato
Autore
VENDRAME, ELEONORA
URN
etd-07182025-092322
Titolo
Enhancing Sensorimotor Hand Function through Non-Invasive Supplementary Feedback in Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
Settore scientifico disciplinare
ING-INF/06
Corso di studi
Istituto di Biorobotica - PHD IN BIOROBOTICA
Relatori
Nessun relatore trovato
Parole chiave
- Haptics
- Closed-loop control
- Vibrotactile
- Electrotactile
Data inizio appello
07/11/2025;
Disponibilità
parziale
Riassunto analitico
The loss of somatosensory feedback has a huge impact on everyday life and arises from countless conditions - traumatic, congenital, or neurodegenerative. Beyond the deprivation of sensory input, which impairs the ability to perceive and adapt to the environment, its absence also significantly impacts motor control, as sensory feedback is essential for movement accuracy and coordination. Sensory substitution — the process of conveying missing sensory
information through alternative channels — has been applied across various domains to bridge this perceptual gap. However, its implementation is difficult to generalize, as each individual may present a unique sensory profile. In neurorehabilitation, this challenge is even more relevant due to the variability of somatosensory deficits, and the limited attention of current rehabilitation strategies towards the role of tactile input.
This thesis investigates the challenge of delivering supplementary somatosensory input that is functionally relevant, perceptually pleasant, and seamlessly integrated into user interaction. After presenting the physiological basis of somatosensory feedback in the human hand and its role in fine motor control (Chapter 1), the work addresses this question within the broader context of non-invasive sensory substitution. In this setting, the thesis examines different feedback modalities — namely vibrotactile and electrotactile stimulation — as alternative means of conveying tactile information. These modalities are implemented across diverse device configurations, ranging from low-density systems providing discrete stimulation to high-density arrays capable of replicating complex spatiotemporal patterns, to explore how artificial somatosensory cues can be effectively integrated into wearable systems for assistive and rehabilitative applications. Chapter 2 introduces a novel wearable system—the DESC
Glove — which was designed to deliver vibrotactile cues to areas of the hand (or of the body) with residual sensitivity, conveying fingertip contact events. The system is detailed in terms of architecture, specifications, and preliminary feasibility testing. Chapter 3 presents a first pilot evaluation of the device in two individuals with chronic hand sensorimotor deficits, proving the immediate effectiveness and intuitiveness of the device. This is further expanded in Chapter 4, which explores the integration of the glove into a rehabilitative protocol for
stroke patients, assessing its effects on motor coordination and functional manipulation. While the DESC Glove is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial involving acute and sub-acute stroke survivors, this thesis presents preliminary findings from a pilot study involving five participants. Finally, Chapter 5 extends the investigation into immersive virtual environments, exploring how high-density electrotactile stimulation can enrich the realism and embodiment of hand-object interactions in virtual reality.
Together, the studies presented in this thesis contribute to a deeper understanding of how non-invasive tactile supplementary feedback can be leveraged to enhance perception and support sensorimotor functions.
information through alternative channels — has been applied across various domains to bridge this perceptual gap. However, its implementation is difficult to generalize, as each individual may present a unique sensory profile. In neurorehabilitation, this challenge is even more relevant due to the variability of somatosensory deficits, and the limited attention of current rehabilitation strategies towards the role of tactile input.
This thesis investigates the challenge of delivering supplementary somatosensory input that is functionally relevant, perceptually pleasant, and seamlessly integrated into user interaction. After presenting the physiological basis of somatosensory feedback in the human hand and its role in fine motor control (Chapter 1), the work addresses this question within the broader context of non-invasive sensory substitution. In this setting, the thesis examines different feedback modalities — namely vibrotactile and electrotactile stimulation — as alternative means of conveying tactile information. These modalities are implemented across diverse device configurations, ranging from low-density systems providing discrete stimulation to high-density arrays capable of replicating complex spatiotemporal patterns, to explore how artificial somatosensory cues can be effectively integrated into wearable systems for assistive and rehabilitative applications. Chapter 2 introduces a novel wearable system—the DESC
Glove — which was designed to deliver vibrotactile cues to areas of the hand (or of the body) with residual sensitivity, conveying fingertip contact events. The system is detailed in terms of architecture, specifications, and preliminary feasibility testing. Chapter 3 presents a first pilot evaluation of the device in two individuals with chronic hand sensorimotor deficits, proving the immediate effectiveness and intuitiveness of the device. This is further expanded in Chapter 4, which explores the integration of the glove into a rehabilitative protocol for
stroke patients, assessing its effects on motor coordination and functional manipulation. While the DESC Glove is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial involving acute and sub-acute stroke survivors, this thesis presents preliminary findings from a pilot study involving five participants. Finally, Chapter 5 extends the investigation into immersive virtual environments, exploring how high-density electrotactile stimulation can enrich the realism and embodiment of hand-object interactions in virtual reality.
Together, the studies presented in this thesis contribute to a deeper understanding of how non-invasive tactile supplementary feedback can be leveraged to enhance perception and support sensorimotor functions.
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