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Neuro-Mechanical Intelligence Laboratory (NeuroMINT)
Asst. Prof. Nicholas Szczecinski
Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
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Publications

Journal Publications

Dinges GF, Zyhowski WP, Lucci A, Friend J, Szczecinski NS (2024) Mechanical modeling of mechanosensitive insect strain sensors as a tool to investigate exoskeletal interfaces. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ad1db9. (open access)

Zill SN, Dallmann CJ, Zyhowski WP, Chaudhry H, Gebehart C, Szczecinski NS (2024) Mechanosensory encoding of forces in walking uphill and downhill: force feedback can stabilize leg movements in stick insects. Journal of Neurophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00414.2023. (open access)

Sutton GP*, Szczecinski NS*, Quinn RD, Chiel HJ (2023) Phase shift between joint rotation and actuation reflects dominant forces and predicts muscle activation patterns. PNAS Nexus. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad298. (open access)

*These authors contributed equally to this work.

Nourse WRP, Jackson C, Szczecinski NS, Quinn RD (2023) SNS-Toolbox: An open source tool for designing synthetic nervous systems and interfacing them with cyber-physical systems. Biomimetics. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020247. (open access)

Mangan M, Floreano D, Yasui K, Trimmer BA, Gravish N, Hauert S, Webb B, Manoonpong P, and Szczecinski NS (2023) A virtuous cycle between invertebrate and robotics research: Perspective on a decade of Living Machines research. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/acc223. (open access)

Szczecinski NS, Goldsmith CA, Nourse WR, Quinn RD (2023) A perspective on the neuromorphic control of legged locomotion in past, present, and future insect-like robots. Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering. https://www.doi.org/10.1088/2634-4386/acc04f. (open access)

Zyhowski WP, Zill SN, Szczecinski NS (2023) Adaptive load feedback robustly signals force dynamics in robotic model of Carausius morosus. Frontiers in Neurorobotics. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040226. (open access)

Deng K, Hunt AJ, Szczecinski NS, Tresch MC, Chiel HJ, Heckman CJ, Quinn RD (2022) Biomechanical and sensory feedback regularize the behavior of different locomotor central pattern generators. Biomechanics. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040226. (open access)

Harris CM, Szczecinski NS, Bueschges A, Zill SN (2022) Sensory signals of unloading in insects are tuned to distinguish leg slipping from load variations in gait: experimental and modeling studies. Journal of Neurophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00285.2022. (open access)

Guschlbauer C, Hooper SL, Mantziaris C, Schwarz A, Szczecinski NS, Bueschges A (2022) Correlation between ranges of leg walking angles and passive rest angles among leg types in stick insects. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.013. (open access)

Pickard SC, Bertsch DJ, Le Garrec Z, Ritzmann RE, Quinn RD, Szczecinski NS (2021) Internal state effects on behavioral shifts in freely behaving praying mantises ( Tenodera sinensis). PLOS Computational Biology, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009618. (open access)

Goldsmith CA, Quinn RD, Szczecinski NS (2021) Investigating the role of low level reinforcement reflex loops in insect locomotion. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ac28ea.

Szczecinski NS, Dallmann CJ, Quinn RD, Zill SN (2021) A computational model of insect campaniform sensilla predicts encoding of forces during walking. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ac1ced.

Zill SN, Dallmann CJ, Szczecinski NS, Büschges A, Schmitz J (2021) Evaluation of force feedback in walking using joint torques as “naturalistic” stimuli. Journal of Neurophysiology, https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00120.2021.

Szczecinski NS, Quinn RD, Hunt AJ (2020) Extending the Functional Subnetwork Approach to a Generalized Linear Integrate-and-Fire Neuron Model. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 14 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2020.577804. (open access)

Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceedings Papers

Dinges GF*, Zyhowski WP*, Goldsmith CA, Szczecinski NS (2023) Comparison of Proximal Leg Strain in Locomotor Model Organisms Using Robotic Legs. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38857-6_30.

*These authors contributed equally to this work.

Goldsmith CA, Zyhowski WP, Bueschges A, Zill SN, Dinges GF, and Szczecinski NS (2023) Effects of Tarsal Morphology on Load Feedback During Stepping of a Robotic Stick Insect ( Carausius morosus) Limb. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38857-6_32.

Kudyba IM, Szczecinski NS (2023) Model Reveals Joint Properties for Which Co-contracting Antagonist Muscles Increases Joint Stiffness. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39504-8_1.

Nourse WRP, Szczecinski NS, Quinn RD (2023) A Synthetic Nervous System for On and Off Motion Detection Inspired by the Drosophila melanogaster Optic Lobe. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38857-6_27.

Aronhalt E, Abramson E, Goldsmith CA, Andrada E, Nourse WRP, Sutton GP, Szczecinski NS, Quinn RD (2023) Development of a Robotic Rat Hindlimb Model. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39504-8_8.

Zyhowski WP, Zill SN, Szczecinski NS (2022) Load Feedback from a Dynamically Scaled Robotic Model of Carausius Morosus Middle Leg. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems, p:128–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20470-8_14.

Patel SS, Read JCA, Nityananda V, Szczecinski NS (2022) Robotic Platform for Testing a Simple Stereopsis Network. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems, p:195–198. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20470-8_20.

Goldsmith CA, Haustein M, Bockemuehl T, Bueschges A, Szczecinski NS (2022) Analyzing 3D Limb Kinematics of Drosophila Melanogaster for Robotic Platform Development. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems, p:111–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20470-8_12.

Guie CK, Szczecinski NS (2022) Direct Assembly and Tuning of Dynamical Neural Networks for Kinematics. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems, p:321–331. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20470-8_32.

Nourse WRP, Szczecinski NS, Quinn RD (2022) SNS-Toolbox: A Tool for Efficient Simulation of Synthetic Nervous Systems. Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems, p:32–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20470-8_4.

Pre-print manuscripts

Goldsmith CA, Haustein M, Bueschges A, Szczecinski NS (2024) A biomimetic fruit fly robot for studying the neuromechanics of legged locomotion. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.22.581436.