SHARE-CP is a research project born from the collaboration between Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and the University of Pisa. Its goal is to develop a soft humanoid robot designed to support the motor rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. Funded by Fondazione Pisa, the project combines expertise in advanced robotics and pediatric neurorehabilitation to provide a personalized, safe, and non-invasive therapeutic approach.

Project

Cerebral palsy is a permanent neurological condition that affects movement and muscle coordination. It typically appears early in life and can significantly impact a child’s quality of life. Since there is currently no cure, rehabilitation plays a central role in helping children improve their motor functions and achieve greater autonomy.

SHARE-CP aims to create a “soft” humanoid robot, made with flexible and safe materials, capable of physically interacting with children in a natural and adaptive way. Through advanced technologies, the robot will be able to adjust to the specific needs of each patient, actively assisting in rehabilitation sessions while making them more engaging, effective, and easier to monitor.

The project unfolds across several phases. It begins with the design and prototyping of a humanoid robot equipped with soft sensors and actuators, specifically tailored for interaction with children. The next step involves the development of intelligent control algorithms to ensure safe and precise movement. Finally, the robot will be tested in real-world rehabilitation settings through clinical trials and pilot studies, assessing its therapeutic effectiveness and safety.

One of the most innovative aspects of SHARE-CP lies in its potential applications in telemedicine, enabling remote monitoring and follow-up of therapy progress.

Goals

SHARE-CP seeks to deliver a concrete tool to improve the quality of pediatric rehabilitation. The developed robot will not only support therapists during sessions but also collect valuable data for the objective assessment of a child’s motor progress.

By enhancing engagement, facilitating therapy management, and opening new avenues in the field of health robotics, the project aspires to make rehabilitation more accessible, continuous, and patient-centered. Its long-term vision includes home-based applications and remote care.

Consortium

SHARE-CP is the result of a multidisciplinary partnership between three leading research laboratories. The Institute of BioRobotics at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna contributes through two teams: the BRAIR Lab, led by Egidio Falotico,, focuses on control software and algorithm development, while the SMB Lab, coordinated by Matteo Cianchetti, handles the design of the robot’s soft mechanical components.

On the clinical side, the Laboratorio INNOVATE of the University of Pisa, directed by Giuseppina Sgandurra, brings expertise in pediatric neurorehabilitation and coordinates the clinical validation activities.

Publications  [J=Journal, C=Conference, B=Book]

• [J] Falotico, E., Donato, E., Alessi, C., Setti, E., Nazeer, M. S., Agabiti, C., ... & Killpack, M. (2025). Learning controllers for continuum soft manipulators: Impact of modeling and looming challenges. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 7(2), 2400344.
• [J] Donato, E., Pelliccia, D., Hosseinzadeh, M., Amiri, M., & Falotico, E. (2025). Tactile Object Recognition with Recurrent Neural Networks through a Perceptive Soft Gripper. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.