Rita Laezza

RITA

Index:

About me

Since September 2024, I’m a Posdoctoral Fellow at Chalmers University of Technology in the Automation group, within the division of Systems and Control of the Electrical Engineering (E2) department. I’ve also completed my MSc and PhD at Chalmers.

During my Master’s studies, I did my thesis work within the FKA Biomechatronics and Neurorehabilitation Lab. My focus was on implementing Deep Learning methods for myoelectric control, which has applications in robotic prosthetics and neuromuscular rehabilitation.

For my PhD degree, my research topic consisted of robotic manipulation of deformable objects using learning-based methods, with a focus on Reinforcement Learning (RL). I started my graduate studies in February, 2019 in the Mechatronics group and defended my thesis in April, 2024. My position was funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, as part of the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP).

Now that I have defended my PhD, I will continue in academia to pursue my original goal: Healthcare Robotics. With my background in Biomedical Engineering and Robotics, I want to continue developing my knowledge and skills to maximize my contribution to the field I am most passionate about.

Current research

I am currently involved in the AURORA project: Adaptive User-Centered Robotic Rehabilitation. The aim is to develop customisable rehabilitation equipment that optimizes patient recovery after injury, both through better data collection and eventually with active support of the physiotherapy exercises.

I also intend to continue my research on myoelectric control, started during my Master’s but further developed at the end of my PhD. I am interested in moving from supervised learning to more interactive learning approaches, such as RL.

Teaching experience

Academic degrees