I-RIM 3D 2025 Thematic workshop proposal for I-RIM 3D 2025 1. Workshop title: Assistive robotics for daily living: The EasyWalk project 2. Organizers: a Luca Tonin, University of Padua, Italy,
[email protected] (corresponding organizer) b Sebastiano Vascon, University of Venice, Italy,
[email protected] c Giuseppe Sutera, University of Catania, Italy,
[email protected] d Giovanni Muscato, University of Catania, Italy,
[email protected] 3. Workshop Format: invitation only 4. Workshop Objectives and Main Topics: Assistive robotics, devices, and technologies are playing a critical role in addressing the needs of an aging population, particularly in promoting independence, enhancing mobility, and reducing risks associated with falls. Among these challenges, fall prevention remains a major concern for the elderly, where fall-related injuries are a leading cause of reduced mobility and loss of autonomy. The psychological impact of falls often leads to a fear of falling, which can confine individuals to their homes and contribute to musculoskeletal decline due to prolonged inactivity. While conventional mobility aids such as walkers are widely recommended, they are often underutilized due to limited usability and lack of adaptability to complex environments. In response to these limitations, the EasyWalk project has focused on developing a next-generation smart walker that is affordable, intuitive, and safe. This workshop will present the final outcomes of the EasyWalk project, including the design, implementation, and evaluation of a smart mobility aid that leverages cost-effective sensing technologies to ensure safe navigation without relying on predefined maps. The system interprets user intentions by analyzing leg movements and forces applied to the handlebars, enabling more natural and effective human–machine interaction through shared intelligence. In addition to technical presentations and insights gained from the project, the workshop will feature a live demonstration of the EasyWalk prototype, offering participants the opportunity to experience the system’s capabilities first-hand. This interactive session will allow for discussion around challenges, lessons learned, and potential future directions in the field of assistive mobility technologies. 5. Keywords: assistive robotics, smart walkers, fall prevention, human–machine interaction, elderly mobility support 6. Preferred Date: October 17 7. List of Speakers (all confirmed): a Luca Tonin, University of Padua, Italy b Giuseppe Sutera, University of Catania, Italy 2025 I-RIM Conference October 17-19, Rome, Italy ISBN: 9788894580570 10.5281/zenodo.17629606 12
I-RIM 3D 2025 c Sebastiano Vascon, University of Venice, Italy d Muhammad Ishaq, University of Catania, Italy e Anna Polato, University of Padua, Italy f Muhammad Rameez Ur Rahman, University of Venice, Italy 8. Expected Number of Attendees: The expected number of attendees is around 20, allowing for an effective and focused exchange of ideas within a specialized and technical domain. 9. Target Audience: The target audience includes researchers working on assistive robotics, particularly those focused on mobility support technologies. In addition, the workshop may also attract researchers from related domains such as exoskeletons, as well as professionals from the assistive technology industry interested in smart mobility solutions for aging populations. 10. Workshop Outcomes: The workshop is expected to produce several outcomes, including participant feedback on the usability and perceived impact of the EasyWalk system. Beyond the specific case of the smart walker, the workshop will serve as a platform to critically reflect on the broader challenges and limitations of assistive robotics, promoting dialogue that may lead to new research collaborations, cross-domain innovations, and follow-up events within the community. 11. Plan for Special Issue or Session: Following the workshop, we plan to organize a special session at forthcoming conferences relevant to the I-RIM community, focused on advances and challenges in assistive robotics and smart mobility technologies, to further disseminate the workshop outcomes and foster ongoing collaboration. 12. Call for Extended Abstracts: We do not plan to issue a call for extended abstracts for this workshop. 13. Workshop Webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/easywalk-project/workshop 14. Notes on Registration: No need for the one-day registration. 13
