Dr Franck Gonzalez
Ph.D. Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France
M.Sc. Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France
Eng. Dpl. Arts et Métiers Paristech, Paris, France

Research Associate
Department of Bioengineering
Imperial College London
SW7 2AZ London, UK
Office: 4.28 RSM
Email: f.gonzalez[at]imperial.ac.uk

About me

Franck Gonzalez is a research associate in the department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London. He obtained his PhD in Robotics from Pierre et Marie Curie University in 2015, his MSc in Robotics from Pierre et Marie Curie University in 2011 and Dpl. Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from Arts et Métiers Paristech in 2011.

His primary research interests are in human-computer interactions and biomechanics, especially in the design and control of force feedback devices such as haptic and teleoperation interfaces. He currently works on modelling interactions between humans in the Human Robotics Group of Prof. Etienne Burdet.

His PhD thesis was on increasing the transparency of haptic interfaces, that is, the ability of an interface to be forgotten by the operator while s/he manipulates it to interact with a virtual environment. He developed a 2D contact-less encounter-type haptic interface which closely and remotely follows the movements of the user when s/he is not in contact with a virtual object, and comes into contact only when forces should be rendered to him or her. This way, a perfect transparency is achieved and the simulation is more realistic.

This has included research towards developing an end-effector able to follow a finger remotely, without marker, and a custom control law so that the transition between free space and contact be smooth and realistic.

Publications

  • Gonzalez, F. and Gosselin, Fl. and Bachta, W. (2015). A 2D infrared instrumentation for close-range finger position sensing.
    IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. Vol 64 No 10 Pages 2708-2719.
  • Gonzalez, Fr. and Bachta, W. and Gosselin, Fl. (2015). Smooth transition-based control of encounter-type haptic devices.
    IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, ICRA'15. Pages 291-297. Seattle, WA. 
  • Chabrier, A. and Gonzalez, F. and Gosselin, Fl. and Bachta, W. (2015). Analysis of the directions in which forces are applied on the hand during manual manipulation and exploration.
    IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC'15. Pages 280-285. Chicago, IL.
  • Gonzalez, F. and Gosselin, F. and Bachta, W. (2014). Analysis of hand contact areas and interaction capabilities during manipulation and exploration.
    IEEE Transactions on Haptics. Vol 7 No 4 Pages 415-429.
  • Gonzalez, Fr. and Gosselin, Fl. and Bachta, W. (2013). A framework for the classification of dexterous haptic interfaces based on the identification of the most frequently used hand contact areas.
    IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC'13. Pages 461-466. Daejeon, Korea.