I-RIM 3D 2025 Thematic workshop proposal for I-RIM 3D 2025 1. Workshop title Translating Robotic Innovation into Practice: Challenges and Opportunities in Daily Living 2. Organizers a. Francesco Visentin, University of Verona, Italy,
[email protected] (corresponding) b. Luca Tonin, University of Padua, Italy, luca.[email protected] (corresponding) c. Sebastiano Vascon, University of Venice, Italy,
[email protected] d. Giuseppe Sutera, University of Catania, Italy, giuseppe.suter[email protected] e. Giovanni Muscato, University of Catania, Italy, giovanni.musc[email protected] f. Andrea Roberti, University of Verona, Italy,
[email protected] 3. Workshop Format Invitation only, speaker list attached. 4. Workshop Objectives and Main Topics This workshop bridges the gap between advanced medical, surgical, and assistive robotics research and their real-world deployment. Despite rapid technological advancements, many innovations remain confined to laboratories, hindered by challenges in clinical translation, including usability, regulatory approval, and system integration. The workshop aims to foster multidisciplinary collaboration and shape the future of robotic technologies in healthcare by bringing together researchers, clinicians, and industry stakeholders. The event will explore surgical and assistive robotics, addressing critical themes such as system design, human–robot interaction, AI integration, and validation. In surgical contexts, topics will include innovations in robotic manipulators and actuators, intuitive control algorithms, and advanced interfaces that enhance the operating room’s safety, precision, and ergonomics. A key focus will be on integrating machine learning and computer vision for preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance, and clinical outcome prediction. Case studies will illustrate how robotics is already transforming minimally invasive surgery and image-guided interventions, while open discussions will identify unmet needs, scalability issues, and ethical concerns. The workshop will also highlight the growing importance of assistive robotics in supporting the needs of an aging population. Fall prevention, a significant health concern among the elderly, is often addressed with conventional mobility aids with limited adaptability and user acceptance. In this context, the EasyWalk project will be presented as a model for next-generation smart mobility solutions. EasyWalk is an aUordable, intuitive, sensor-enhanced walker that promotes safe and natural navigation without requiring pre-mapped environments. By interpreting user intent through leg motion and handlebar pressure, the system oUers intelligent, adaptive support that aligns with the user’s movement patterns. By fostering open dialogue across disciplines, this workshop seeks to define shared priorities and research directions that ensure robotic technologies are innovative but also accessible, sustainable, and impactful in everyday clinical and assistive contexts. 2025 I-RIM Conference October 17-19, Rome, Italy ISBN: 9788894580570 10.5281/zenodo.17629604 10
I-RIM 3D 2025 5. Keywords surgical robotics, clinical translation, assistive robotics, fall prevention, human– machine interaction, elderly mobility support 6. Preferred Date 17 October 7. List of Speakers (all confirmed) Speakers a-d will be given 15 minutes for their talk, while speakers e-g will have 10 minutes each for their presentation. a. Prof. Fanny Ficuciello, Università di Napoli Federico II, IT b. Prof. Gianluigi Califano, Università di Napoli Federico II – Dip. Sanità Pubblica, IT c. Dr. Edoardo Lamon, Università di Trento, IT d. Prof. Luca Tonin, University of Padua, IT e. Dr. Muhammad Ishaq, University of Catania, IT f. Dr. Anna Polato, University of Padua, IT g. Dr. Muhammad Rameez Ur Rahman, University of Venice, IT 8. Expected Number of Attendees Due to the broad list of topics involved, the expected attendees are around 40. 9. Target Audience The target audience includes researchers working on medical robotics and assistive robotics, particularly those focused on mobility support technologies. In addition, the workshop may also attract researchers from related domains, as well as professionals from the industry interested in smart mobility solutions for aging populations. 10. Workshop Outcomes The workshop is expected to produce several outcomes, including participant feedback on the usability and perceived impact of the EasyWalk system. Beyond the specific case of the smart walker, the workshop will serve as a platform to critically reflect on the broader challenges and limitations of medical and assistive robotics, promoting dialogue that may lead to new research collaborations, cross-domain innovations, and follow-up events within the community. 11. Plan for Special Issue or Session Following the workshop, we plan to organize a special session at forthcoming conferences relevant to the I-RIM community, focused on advances and challenges in assistive robotics and smart mobility technologies, to further disseminate the workshop outcomes and foster ongoing collaboration. In addition, we will invite all workshop attendees and selected authors of accepted IRIM papers to contribute to a special issue focused on the workshop topics. Potential journals include: MDPI Robotics (Special Issue on Surgical and Medical Robotics), Frontiers in Robotics and AI – Medical Robotics Section, MDPI Applied Sciences (Special Issue on Surgical and Medical Robotics), IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, and the Journal of Medical Robotics Research 12. Call for Extended Abstracts No plan for extended abstracts 13. Workshop Webpage Internal link on the ALTAIR LAB website (https://metropolis.scienze.univr.it) 14. Notes on Registration One ticket is reserved for Prof. Gianluigi Califano; the other will be managed among the other participants according to their attendance at the whole conference. 11
