The Italian Spinal Cord Laboratory (S.C.I.L.) is the result of a collaboration between the Unipolar Spinal Unit (USU) of the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure and the Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS) of the University of Genoa. The laboratory, located at the Spinal Unit of the Santa Corona Hospital, combines the professional skills in the field of bioengineering, robotics and information technology of the researchers of the University of Genoa with the knowledge of clinicians, (physicians, physiotherapists and nurses) experts in treating people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

The areas of investigation of the S.C.I.L are the following:

• Design, development and validation of rehabilitative and assistive systems for people with spinal cord injury;
• Definition and validation of standard protocols and parameters for the functional evaluation of the movements and force strategies adopted by people with different levels of spinal cord injury;
• Design, development and validation of software programs integrated with appropriate measurement systems to support with instrumented evaluations the physicians and the physiotherapists’ diagnoses;
• Design, implementation and validation of tele-rehabilitation and tele-consulting systems to provide people with SCI with a set of defined rehabilitation and assistance services beyond the hospital environment.