Our senses are the main means through which we perceive, understand, interact with and react to our environment. Consequently, sensory disabilities are a serious challenge that impacts all levels of physical and social functioning. The impaired brain is often difficult to restore, owing to our limited knowledge of the complex nervous system. Accumulating knowledge in systems neuroscience, combined with the development of innovative technologies, may enable brain restoration in patients with nervous system disorders that are currently untreatable. This course will explore how bioengineering techniques and principles are applied to understand and model sensory systems.
Ths course aims to explore how sensory interaction works, how it can be used to monitor brain health, and how our sensory abilities can be rehabilitated or augmented. The course will show the students how the current technologies and the knowledge about the sensory mechanisms could 1) help, empower, educate the correct development of sensory faculties, 2) rehabilitate sensory deficits, 3) assist the diagnosis of sensory disfunctions, and 4) lead/promote early diagnosis.
Firstly, the course will cover the scientific bases, technologies, and chronic viability of emerging neurosensory prosthetic devices. Secondly, the course will discuss recent progress in neuromorphic engineering, where neuromorphic sensors and sensory systems have made the greatest strides in recent years with many electronic able to mimic the human sensory systems, and subsequent sensor processing. Thirdly, the course aims to show how our senses interact and how it is possible to use multisensory integration to monitor the proper functioning of our brain and how it is possible to rehabilitate/increase/recover lost sensory abilities. The course will be composed of lectures, working-code examples, and hands-on session
At the end the student will be able to:
Programming Matlab and C++/C#, basics of neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, physics, mathematics
Frontal lectures both in classical and flipped-class mode. Problem based learning with projects to be carried out independently in working groups.
Neurosensory prostheses
Neuromorphic engineering
Sensory substitution and augmentation
Bases of Multisensory integration
Teaching material provided by teacher
Ricevimento: on demand, by e-mail contact at: andrea.canessa@unige.it Teacher office: via All’Opera Pia 13, building E, second floor. Office direct phone number: 010-3532789
ANDREA CANESSA (President)
MARCO MASSIMO FATO
SILVIO PAOLO SABATINI (President Substitute)
as officially scheduled
The exam is composed of Project assignments (group work) and an Oral exam. Students will self-organise in small groups and these groups will participate in several activities during the semester. Each assignment will be evaluated for its completeness and overall quality.
The learning outcomes will be assessed during the oral exam and in the group-based assignments.
