Francesca Cordella’s research interests are mainly in the field of biomechanics, biomedical robotics, rehabilitation and assistive robotics, bionics, bio-inspired robot control strategies, vision-based approaches for motion reconstruction and human-robot interaction, multimodal interfaces for assistive and collaborative robotics, psychophysiological assessment, limb prostheses, human-robot interaction, sensory feedback restoration, functional electrical stimulation, multimodal data collection and analysis.
Lead Guest Editor of Special Issue:
- “Innovation in Prosthetic Solutions: Bridging Neuroscience and Engineering for Next-Generation Prosthetic Systems” for the Journal Prosthesis, 2024 (Guest Editors: Cosimo Gentile, Francesca Cordella, Emanuele Gruppioni)
- “Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence in Interaction Processes” for the Journal Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 2024 (Topic Editors: Maria Chiara Caschera, Patrizia Grifoni, Francesca Cordella)
- “Recent Advances in Medical Robotics” for the Journal Machines, 2024 (Guest Editors: Clemente Lauretti, Alessia Noccaro, Francesca Cordella)
- “Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Robots: Challenges and Opportunities” for the Journal Applied Sciences, 2024 (Guest Editors: Christian Tamantini, Andrea Orlandini, Francesca Cordella)
“Research Advances in Rehabilitation and Exoskeleton Robotics” for the Journal Bioengineering, 2024 (Guest Editors: Nicolas Garcia-Aracil, Andrea Blanco, Josè Maria Catalàn, Francesca Cordella) - “Challenges and Future Trends of Wearable Robotics – Volume II” for the Journal Sensors, 2023 (Guest Editors: Francesca Cordella, Emilio Trigili, Jan Babic)
- “Challenges and Future Trends of Wearable Robotics” for the Journal Sensors, 2022 (Guest Editors: Francesca Cordella, Emilio Trigili, Jan Babic)
- “Neurorobotics and strategies for adaptive human-machine interaction — Volume II” for the Journal Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 2022 (Guest Editors: Francesca Cordella, Surjo Soekadar, Loredana Zollo)
- “Neurorobotics and strategies for adaptive human-machine interaction” for the Journal Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 2020 (Guest Editors: Francesca Cordella, Surjo Soekadar, Loredana Zollo)
- “Analysis of Human Behavior for Robot Design and Control” for the Journal Applied Bionics and Biomechanics, 2019 (Guest Editors: Francesca Cordella, Michelle Johnson, Loredana Zollo)
Conference, PhD School and Workshop Organizer:
- 24-31 August 2025 — Member of the Organizing Committee of the PhD summer School on Robotics and Intelligent Machines (3rd Edition) – DRIMS2, Genova, Italy
- 5-11 September 2024 — Member of the Organizing Committee of the PhD summer School on Robotics and Intelligent Machines (2nd Edition) – DRIMS2, Volterra, Italy
- 9-12 October 2024 — Member of the Local Organizing Committee and Worskhop Chair for the 6th Conference on Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM3D), Rome, Italy
- 8-10 October 2021 — Member of the Organizing Committee for the 3rd Conference on Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM3D), Rome, Italy
- 14-18 June 2021 — Workshop Chair of the Seasonal School on Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies based on Soft Robotics (SoftTech-Rehab), online
- 8-10 September 2025 — Organizer of the Mini-Simposium “Computational models in rehabilitation robotics and bionics”, Rome, Italy
- 11 October 2024 — Organizer of the Workshop “Bringing Robotics in Ph.D. Summer Schools – Offer and approaches”, in the framework of the 6th Conference on Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM3D), Rome, Italy
- October 2023 — Organizer of the Workshop “Ongoing research on motion control and sensory feedback restoration in bionics”, in the framework of the 5th Conference on Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM3D), Rome, Italy
- May 2022 — Organizer of the Workshop “Human-in-the loop paradigm for assistive robotics”, in the framework of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Philadelphia, USA, May 2022
- 13 November 2021 — Organizer of the Workshop “ASIMOV – Adaptive Social Interaction and MOVement for assistive and rehabilitation robotics” in the framework of the 13th International Conference on Social Robotics, Singapoour
- 4 September 2020 — Organizer of the 4th Workshop on “Behavior Adaptation, Interaction and Learning for Assistive Robotics — BAILAR” in the framework of 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, Naples
- 10 December 2020 — Organizer of the Workshop “Two decades of rehabilitation and assistive robotics: lessons learned and future challenges” in the framework of the 2nd Conference on Robotics and Intelligent Machines I-RIM 2020
- 26 August 2018 — Organizer of the Workshop “U-Care – Assistive user interfaces and control strategies for adaptive human-robot interaction in the framework of the 7th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, 26 August 2018, Enschede
Participation in EU and National projects:
NoProblem – Nocicezione e propriocezione per il monitoraggio efficace degli arti robotici (Project funded by INAIL)
3Daid++ – Protesi di mano e ausili robotici esoscheletrici a basso costo per bambini e adulti (Project funded by INAIL).
BioArmNext – Esoscheletro portatile per la riabilitazione e l’assistenza del paziente plesso-leso (Project funded by INAIL).
BioInterNect – Interfacce bioniche bidirezionali multimodali (Project funded by INAIL).
SPINE 4.0 – Sviluppo di un approccio innovativo, multidisciPlinare ed integrato per i lavoratorI affetti da patologie degenerative del rachide lombare basato su tecNologie avanzate, capacity building ed analisi di fattibilità per la creazione di un cEntro di riferimento per la prevenzione, diagnosi, trattamento e reinserimento lavorativo” (Bando BRIC 2021)
WiFi-MyoHand – Sistema impiantabile ottimizzato per l’interfacciamento con il sistema nervoso periferico e il controllo della protesi di arto superiore (Project funded by INAIL).
ReGiveMeFive – Esplorazione di nuove frontiere in chirurgia protesica (Project funded by INAIL).
BioArm – Esoscheletro portatile per la riabilitazione e l’assistenza del paziente plesso-leso.
SOMA – Ultrasound peripheral interface and in-vitro model of human somatosensory system and muscles for motor decoding and restoration of somatic sensations in amputees (European project H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-
2020-01).
3D-aid – Low cost prosthetic hands and exoskeletons (Project funded by INAIL).
FIT4MEDROB – Fit for Medical Robotics (PNC Project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research)
Rome Technopole – Innovation Ecosystem (PNRR Project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research)
ANIA – Development of bionic upper limb prostheses with personalized interface and sensory feedback for severely injured patients with amputation due to road accident (Project funded by ANIA Foundation – Associazione Nazionale per le Imprese Assicuratrici)
SAFE-MOVER – User-centred design of a robotic device for improving working conditions and user subjective perspective during patient-handling movements (Bando University Strategic Projects, Topic: Healthcare 4.0)
SENSE-RISC – Development of instrumented suits for prevention and mitigation of workers’ safety risks (Project funded by INAIL).
EXPERIENCE – Benchmarking Exoskeleton-Assisted Gait Based on Users’ Subjective Perspective and Experience (Open Call of the EU-funded project EUROBENCH – H2020-ICT-2016-2017-779963).
ARONA – Surgical navigation assisted by advanced robotics. (Project MIUR PON Research and Innovation 2014 — 2020).
ANIA – Development of bionic upper limb prostheses with personalized interface and sensory feedback for severely injured patients with amputation due to road accident (Project Fondazione ANIA – Associazione Nazionale per le Imprese Assicuratrici)
PPR AS 1/3 – Evolution of an implantable system for the control of upper limb prosthesis with invasive neural interfaces, with wireless communication (Project funded by INAIL). Francesca Cordella is Project Co-responsible and project manager.
PCR 1/2 – New methods in the treatment of limb amputation, finalized to the application of bionic prostheses (Project funded by INAIL).
SIRASI – Robotic system for upper and lower limb rehabilitation. (Bando INTESE).
RehabRobo@Work – Bio-cooperative robotic system for upper-limb rehabilitation in working environments. (Project funded by INAIL). Francesca Cordella is Project Manager.
AIDE – Adaptive Multimodal Interfaces to Assist Disabled People in Daily Activities (European Project H2020).
PPR2 – Control of upper limb prostheses with invasive neural interfaces. (Project funded by INAIL).
HandBot – Protesi di mano biomeccatroniche dotate di percezione tattile bioispirata, interfacce neurali bi-direzionali e controllo sensori-motorio distribuito (National Project PRIN).
ROCOCO’ – COoperative and COllaborative RObotics (National Project PRIN).
DEXMART – DEXterous and autonomous dual-arm/hand robotic manipulation with sMART sensory-motor skills: A bridge from natural to artificial cognition (European research project EU FP7)