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About

Renato Mio is a pioneering researcher in the field of human augmentation and assistive robotics, with a particular focus on supernumerary robotic limbs and soft wearable devices. His most impactful work, "Playing the piano with a robotic third thumb" (2021, 31 citations), investigates the motor control constraints of human augmentation by developing a Supernumerary Robotic 3rd Thumb (SR3T) with two degrees-of-freedom. This study provides critical insights into how the human nervous system adapts to and controls additional robotic appendages during complex bimanual tasks. Mio's research extends to assistive technologies for individuals with grasping impairments, including a body-powered wrist-driven supernumerary robotic finger (2025) that eliminates electronic components to reduce weight and power constraints, and supernumerary robotic fingers for cylindrical and pinch grasps (2023). His work also encompasses soft robotics for medical applications, such as a wearable soft pneumatic actuator for muscle mechanotherapy (2024) to treat disuse-induced muscle atrophy. By combining mechatronics, motor control theory, and clinical rehabilitation needs, Mio's contributions are advancing the frontiers of human-machine integration and assistive device design.