HARMONI Lab

We sense, learn, and blend the human-machine interface for wearable technologies. 

The HARMONI Lab established in February 2024, is headed by Dr. ir. Mohamed Irfan Refai and is part of the Chair of Neuromuscular Robotics, embedded in the Department of Biomechanical Engineering, at the Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, The Netherlands. The lab aims at developing foundational models and techniques to improve the adoption and societal impact of exoskeletons. During my research in interfacing humans with assistive robots, I noticed that comfort and fit plays an important role in long-term adoption of assistive robots. However, comfort is not addressed sufficiently in literature. Moreover, current techniques to personalize the interface could be further improved by merging model-based optimization techniques that respect physical constraints with machine-learning techniques that aims to find patterns in datasets. To address the body of problems these goals have, the scope of my lab includes

• Optimization of exoskeleton designs for improved efficiency and comfort,
• Developing rapid, light-weight, and personalized biomechanical models of movement, and
• Sensing, modelling, and assisting movement during occupational tasks or Space travel.

The lab is generously supported by