Team > Renato Alonso Mio Zaldivar

Faculty VII
Neuroscience

Qualifications: 

10/2022 – Present

PhD(c), Interdisciplinary Studies with a Focus on Natural Sciences, University of Bayreuth - Germany

Thesis title: “Motor learning-based control of peripheral nerves for supernumerary degrees of freedom (sDoFs)”.

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A. Aldo Faisal

The project focuses on the use neural signals acquired non-invasively as an interface modality to control human augmentation devices.

09/2018 – 09/2019

MSc, Biomedical Engineering (Biomechanics), Imperial College London – United Kingdom

Final grade: Distinction (74.25%)

Thesis title: “Prediction of Human Ability for Supernumerary Control based on Motor Skills” (see our Science Reports paper).

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A. Aldo Faisal /Co-supervisor: Dr. Ali Shafti

Relevant modules: Human Neuromechanical Control and Learning, Biomechanics, Statistics and Data Analysis.

03/2010 - 12/2014

BSc, Mechatronics Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru - Peru

Final grade: 17.74/20.00 (~89% / First-Class Honours)

Thesis title: “Design of an upper-limb exoskeleton controlled by a brain-machine interface” (available online in Spanish).

Supervisor: MSc. Roberto Furukawa

Work experience 

06/2022 - Present

Research assistant, Chair of Digital Health with a Focus on Data Science, University of Bayreuth

• Assisting the Chair in setting up the Kulmbach Living Lab, a fully sensorised apartment for human behaviour studies.
• Teaching assistance in the modules Python for Digital Health & AI, Reinforcement Learning and leading of the Seminar in Brain-Computer Interfaces.
• Part of the Borderless Lab initiative together with the Brain and Behaviour Laboratory (Imperial College London)

See my researcher bio at Faisal Lab’s webpage.

03/2015 – 09/2018 & 11/2019 – 07/2022

Researcher, Biomechanics and Applied Robotics Research Group, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

• Undertook researcher role on multiple funded projects within the field of rehabilitation robotics.
• Designed a 3D-printed bionic hand prosthesis and implemented the control system for a lower-limb exoskeleton.
• Aided in securing grant funding for over 500K USD.
• Registered at the Science, Technology and Innovation National Registry of Peru (RENACYT). See my researcher profile.

03/2020 – 07/2022

Hired Lecturer (part time), Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

·     In charge of designing lecture materials, hands-on laboratory sessions and evaluations in several engineering courses.

·     Taught the modules of Control Theory (compulsory), Introduction to Biomechatronics, and Rehabilitation Engineering.

·     Carried out academic supervision of students from the BSc Mechatronics and BSc Biomedical Engineering courses.

More details available at my faculty profile page.

02/2017 – Present

Co-founder, LAT Bionics (social start-up, formerly Dando una mano)

Guided the design team to develop a novel low-cost prosthetic hand (presented at IEEE BIBE 2018)

Wrote detailed technical documentation about the product.

See our recent TED Talk and our social media page.

Faculty VII
Neuroscience

Renato is a PhD student of the Interdiscilinary Studies (with a focus on Natural Sciences) programme. Previously, he finished an MSc in Biomedical Eng. at Imperial College London, UK, and a Bachelor in Mechatronics Eng. at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.
His current focus is on interfaces for human augmentation. Specifically, he studies how non-invasive neural interfacing combined with feedback and reinforcement learning can be used to train humans to control signal components independent from the ones generating movement, and then use these signals as commands for external devices.

​Formerly, he has worked on projects related to rehabilitation robotics and artificial limbs. past projects include studying the process of learning to control an additional robotic finger to play piano, designing of a myoelectric hand prosthesis, and the control of a lower-limb exoskeleton.

Faculty VII
Neuroscience

Renato Alonso Mio Zaldivar
Research Associate

University of Bayreuth
Campus Kulmbach

Faculty VII Kulmbach 

Google Scholar: Renato

renato.mio-zaldivar@uni-bayreuth.de