Lines of Research
The group's research activities focus on a number of topics within Neuroscience.
Cognitive Neuroscience:
- Analysis of the kinematic parameters of social actions
Study of the kinematic and dynamic traits that characterize the movements involved in social interactions, with the aim of identifying specific patterns associated with different communicative intentions. - Influence of affective states on motor behavior
Assessment of how emotions and affective states modulate the perception, planning, and execution of movements, both in individual and interpersonal contexts. - Neural correlates of vitality forms
Study of the neural basis involved in the encoding of vitality forms, i.e., the dynamic qualities by which the same action is expressed in different contexts (ess. Rude, kind, neutral). - Development of technologies for modulating neural mechanisms
Creation and application of innovative tools useful for exploring and modulating the brain processes underlying the representation and understanding of social actions.
Neuroscience and Robotics:
- Iimplementation of robotic actions based on human models
Equipping the humanoid robot with human-like morphological and dynamic characteristics, enabling it to replicate complex behavioral patterns related to social and expressive communication. - Autonomous Generation of Expressive Robotic Actions via
AI Develop the ability to generate autonomous actions capable of producing expressive behaviors in order to foster natural, fluid, and mutually intelligible interactions between human and robot. - Behavioral validation in realistic interactive contexts
Test and evaluate the impact of implemented robotic actions on humans during realistic interactions between humans and humanoid robots, analyzing their effectiveness, naturalness, and ability to elicit appropriate social responses.
Autism:
- Study of Expressive Actions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Analysis of the processes of perception and execution of expressive actions in children with ASD, in order to identify the limitations and impairments of nonverbal communication. - Study of the impact of communicative actions in social interactions
Assessment of the influence of communicative actions produced by human and humanoid agents in the context of reciprocal and realistic interactions, with the aim of understanding the dynamics of social response and adaptation - Development of technologies for enhancing communicative processing
Approach of communicative and social-interactive mechanisms aimed at designing clinical interventions and customized technologies to improve social interaction between children, caregivers and parents.
Funding:
This research is currently supported by two major grants: Cariplo & CDP Grant (G.A 2023-2015 to GDC) and the Fondo Italiano per la Scienza (FIS 2023-01129 to GDC).
For more in-depth information visit website:
Vitality Lab
Neuroscience & Robotics
