In a lab in the U’s Craig H. Nielsen Rehabilitation Hospital, so new that plastic wrap and tape still enclose monitors and equipment cabinets, three or four middle school science teachers group around research assistant and recent MS graduate Bret Mecham, who is wearing a bionic exoskeleton on his arm. The bionic arm moves up and down. “I’m not controlling this,” Mecham tells the audience, “He is—” indicating a teacher who is holding an electrode on his forearm. As the teacher flexes and relaxes, the electrode picks up electrical signals in his muscle. Those signals translate into mechanical motion...
Read MoreDr. George Gives Expert Testimonial on Latest Research
When someone loses a hand or leg, they don’t just lose the ability to grab objects or walk—they lose the ability to touch and sense their surroundings. Prosthetics can restore some motor control, but they typically can’t restore sensation. Now, a preliminary study posted to the preprint server bioRxiv this month—shows that by mimicking the activity of nerves, a device implanted in the remaining part of the leg helps amputees “feel” as they walk, allowing them to move faster and with greater confidence. continue reading on Science...
Read MoreKuntz Lab paper Accept to the International Symposium on Medical Robotics
Kuntz Lab paper, “A Radial Folding Mechanism to Enable Surgical Continuum Manipulators to Fit Through Smaller Ports” has been accepted to the International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR) 2023!...
Read MoreKuntz Lab IEEE Access Paper Awarded 2022 Best Video Award
Kuntz Lab IEEE Access paper has been awarded the 2022 IEEE Access Best Video Award Part 1! This award is given to the best video of papers submitted in a 6-month period to the multidisciplinary open access journal....
Read MoreUtah Bionic Leg in Science Robotics
The Utah Bionic Leg, a motorized prosthetic for lower-limb amputees developed by University of Utah mechanical engineering associate professor Tommaso Lenzi and his students in the HGN Lab, is on the cover of the newest issue of Science Robotics. Science Robotics is part of the Science family of journals and covers the “latest technological advances and for the critical social, ethical and policy issues surrounding robotics.” Read more…....
Read MoreDr. George Presents at BioHive Summit
Dr. George recently presented at the Biohive summit. This was a full-day, in-person event that featured a line-up of incredible speakers. BioHive records more of our popular “BioHive Talks” which highlights thought-provoking and inspiring conversations for our community. Biohive amplifies voices for stakeholders around the state including industry and those outside life sciences. Biohive seeks to share the Utah story and highlight issues that need to be addressed....
Read MoreDr. George Featured on Brown Journal of World Affairs Podcast
The Brown Journal of World Affairs is a semiannual international relations publication produced at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Founded in 1993, the Journal provides a forum for world leaders, policymakers, and prominent academics to engage in a vigorous debate of intellectual breadth and vibrancy. Each issue examines salient and emerging international topics and is circulated widely in the United States and abroad. In recent years, contributors have included Jimmy Carter, Noam Chomsky, Dilma Rousseff, Joseph Nye, and many others. Dr. George’s podcast interview highlights his work on bionic prostheses, commercialization of new technology, and...
Read MoreKuntz Lab Presents Two Papers at 2022 Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics
Kuntz Lab will have two papers appearing at the 2022 Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics: “Toward Targeted Therapy in the Brain by Leveraging Screw-Tip Soft Magnetically Steerable Needles,” Trevor J. Schwehr, Adam J. Sperry, John D. Rolston, Matthew D. Alexander, Jake J. Abbott, and Alan Kuntz; as well as “Optimizing Continuum Robot Tendon Routing for Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery,” Margaret Rox, Aidan Copinga, Robert P. Naftel, Robert J. Webster III, and Alan Kuntz....
Read MoreProf. Lenzi Receives 2020 NSF CAREER Award
Department of Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Tommaso Lenzi has been awarded a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award. The CAREER program is one of the NSF’s most prestigious award programs, offering 5 years of support to early-career faculty with the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. The research grant, entitled “Bio-inspired Multi-joint Design and Control for Efficient and Lightweight Wearable Robots” will provide new knowledge related to wearable robotics by using bio-inspired actuation systems that concurrently assist multiple joints, much like human muscles. Existing exoskeletons are heavy and inefficient, which...
Read MoreCongratulations to Profs. John Hollerbach and Jake Abbott for receiving awards at 2020 IEEE ICRA
Today at the ICRA awards ceremony, John Hollerbach received the IEEE RAS George Saridis Leadership Award in Robotics and Automation for “foundational research on robot calibration and leadership and service in publications, conferences, and society management”, and Jake Abbott received a Distinguished Service Award from IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters as an Outstanding Reviewer for the period 2015-2019....
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