Federico Tessari: motor coordination via synergies скачать в хорошем качестве

Federico Tessari: motor coordination via synergies

The search for an answer to Bernstein’s degrees of freedom problem has propelled a large portion of research studies in human motor control over the past six decades. Different theories have been developed to explain how humans might use their incredibly complex neuro-musculoskeletal system with astonishing ease. Among these theories, motor synergies have emerged as one possible explanation. In this context – however – little attention has been given to better comprehend and explain the nature, use, and evolution of human motor skills. In this seminar, I will present a novel theoretical framework – the ‘expansion hypothesis’ – that we developed to investigate the nature and role of synergies, and ultimately to answer Bernstein’s problem. The expansion hypothesis is articulated in three propositions: mechanical, developmental, and behavioral. Each proposition will address a different question about the nature of synergies: i) How many synergies can humans have? ii) How do we learn and develop synergies? iii) How do we use synergies? I will also provide two examples – one based on numerical simulations and the other on actual experimental data – to clarify the hypothesis propositions. The expansion hypothesis is contextualized with respect to the existing literature on motor synergies both in healthy and impaired individuals, as well as other prominent theories in human motor control and development. Altogether, the expansion hypothesis offers a unified framework to deepen our understanding of how humans coordinate movements. Federico Tessari is a senior postdoctoral associate in the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT, where he is mentored by Neville Hogan. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering through a dual program at the Italian Institute of Technology and the Polytechnic School of Turin, Italy. His research interests combine the design of user-centered rehabilitation robots with the investigation of biomechanics and human neuromotor control. While exploring the complexities of human motion, he aims to uncover the control mechanisms that humans adopt during their motor tasks and use them to design and control innovative robotic systems for mobility-impaired individuals. He was awarded the 2024 Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) for Neuroscience by the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), and he received the IEEE Best Paper Award at IROS 2024. Over the past four years, his vision has driven three national contests on prosthetics and bionics involving students from engineering schools across Italy.