Sviluppo di giochi competitivi mediati da manipolatori robotici per lo studio delle strategie adottate in diverse condizioni sensoriali ed aptiche.

Abstract

L’obiettivo di questa tesi è indagare la dinamica dell’interazione competitiva tra coppie di partecipanti impegnati in un compito motorio mediato da un’interfaccia robotica aptica. L’esperimento ha analizzato come fattori sensoriali e preferenze motorie influenzino le strategie adottate durante un gioco competitivo con ruoli fissi e complementari: attaccante e difensore. L’interazione è stata mediata da H-MAN (Articares), un manipolatore robotico che vincola il movimento lungo un asse orizzontale, con un compito basato su “rigori virtuali”. Sono state introdotte due manipolazioni sperimentali: il livello di rumore visivo e una forza elastica laterale, simulando rispettivamente incertezza percettiva e preferenze motorie. Hanno partecipato 6 diadi (12 soggetti) per un totale di 490 trials distribuiti in 17 blocchi. L’analisi ha valutato come i giocatori adattino le proprie strategie in funzione delle informazioni disponibili e delle esperienze precedenti. Lo studio si colloca nel contesto della riabilitazione motoria assistita da robot, evidenziando come approcci ispirati alla task-oriented therapy e all’interazione competitiva possano incrementare motivazione, coinvolgimento e plasticità cerebrale, rendendo l’allenamento più efficace.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the dynamics of competitive interaction between pairs of participants engaged in a motor task mediated by a haptic robotic interface. The experiment was designed to explore how sensory factors and motor preferences influence the strategies adopted during a competitive game in which two participants take on fixed and complementary roles: attacker and defender. Each subject kept the same role throughout the entire protocol, with no possibility of direct communication. Interaction was mediated by H-MAN (Articares), a robotic manipulator used in motor rehabilitation, which constrained movements along a horizontal axis. On the screen, each player saw a subjective representation of their own position and that of the opponent. The task consisted of a series of “virtual penalty kicks”: the attacker launched a ball towards the defender, who attempted to intercept it. Two experimental manipulations were introduced: the level of visual noise, affecting the accuracy of perceiving the opponent’s position, and a lateral elastic force, simulating a motor preference toward right or left. Six dyads (12 participants) took part in the study. The experiment consisted of 17 blocks (one familiarization and 16 experimental), for a total of 490 trials. Sensory uncertainty was defined by role: for the attacker, it concerned the possibility of perceiving the defender’s position after the shot, while for the defender it referred to perceiving the ball’s position at the time of the shot. The analysis focused on how participants adapted their motor strategies under these constraints, relying on experience to optimize performance. This study is framed within robot-assisted motor rehabilitation, where approaches inspired by task-oriented therapy and competitive interaction show strong potential to enhance motivation, engagement, and brain plasticity, making training more effective and functional.