Intuitive Actuation and Control for Assistive Robots and Exoskeletons for Workers
A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuators for Robotics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: muscle; lower limb
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Thanks to recent rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics is entering a new era where robots and humans will finally work in the same environments with higher performance, safety, and peace of mind. This will be particularly important in industrial contexts in which the mismatch between the adoption of robots and wearable exoskeletons and the benefits worker could receive from using them is still relevant. To reach this final goal, innovative solutions must be found to develop intuitive control strategies, human–robot interactions methodologies, and compliant mechanical designs.
Actuation systems are central to wearable exoskeletons and assistive robots because they directly shape how forces are transmitted to the human body. Their design enables compliant, backdrivable behaviour, improving comfort and safety when people and robots share the same workspace. High-performance lightweight actuators allow for precise torque control and fast adaptation to human intent, which is crucial for intuitive assistance and reducing muscular fatigue. Furthermore, advanced actuators make it possible to embed sensing and intelligence at the joint level, supporting human–robot interaction strategies that can be tailored to different tasks, users, and industrial environments. This leads to higher productivity and wellbeing for workers; however, this innovation is challenging, containing open issues around usability, comfort, durability, and performance.
Dr. Cristian Camardella
Dr. Massimiliano Solazzi
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- exoskeleton
- robotics
- control
- soft design
- usability
- actuation
- artificial intelligence
- assistive device
- industry
- acceptability
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