• Thin film and nanostructures for plasmonics. Thin films for hydrogen sensors. Metal/graphene biochips. Graphene oxide reduction through laser processing and conductive force microscopy. Plasmon devices for sensing and biosensing.

Homepage: https://sites.google.com/a/pd.ifn.cnr.it/I-TECSPeople: Maria Guglielmina Pelizzo (contact person)

• This research activity is developed in collaboration with the Laboratory LUXOR-CNR and concerns the development of optical coatings based on nanostructures working in the EUV spectral range for laboratory, synchrotron, FEL and space applications. Young researchers are trained in the field of X-ray and EUV optical technology within the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate programme EXTATIC.

• Optical and Spectroscopic techniques are developed and appliced to industrial processes like for example in the processing and selection for recycling of waste materials.

Homepage: http://www.plastickiller.eu/homepage/People: Piergiorgio Nicolosi (contact person)

• Runtime compression of biometric time series.
• Efficient compression/transmission of data over wireless channels.
• Motion analysis: gait analysis from smartphone and wristband motion data, user identification and pattern analysis for preventive healthcare applications.
• Activity recognition and behavioral profiling from motion sensors.

Particular attention is paid to the role of robotics in education. The Research group is actively involved in several projects that aim to introduce robots in the curricular didactics. In particular, the group proposes education courses for teachers oriented to robotics-enhanced constructivist learning theory in primary and secondary schools, in order to enable teachers to implement robotics-enhanced constructivist learning in school classrooms:

Brain-Machine Interfaces and  Human-Machine Interfaces based on Neuromusculoskeletal models are the two major research topics on Neurorobotics. In particular, the research group focuses on developing new wearable devices to acquire, process and classify neuro-signals to control assistive robots for disable users. with the goal of improving the current neuro-motor rehabilitation processes.

In the last years, service robots and their interaction with humans have acquired particular interest. The Research group investigates robot bipedal locomotion and walking-gait programming in simulated and real situations in order to enhance the coupling between Human and Robot. Particular interest is dedicated to the study of Human-Robot and Robot-Robot Interaction.