The Neurobotics Lab is proud to announce the funding of three new pilot grants authored by three of our Ph.D. students. Congratulations to Monika Buczak (Biomedical Engineering), Marshall Trout (Electrical Engineering), and Connor Olsen (Electrical Engineering). Each has been awarded ~$5,000 by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to help fund their research! Read More...
Read MoreHGN Lab Publishes Paper in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering (IEEE TNSRE)
In this study, we show that varying the assistive knee torque provided by a powered knee prosthesis significantly improved weight-bearing symmetry, effort, and speed during the stand-up movement in eight above-knee amputees. Specifically, we observed improvements in the index of asymmetry of the vertical ground reaction force at the point approximating maximum vertical center of mass acceleration, the integral of the intact vastus medialis activation measured using electromyography, and the stand-up duration compared to the passive prosthesis. These results show that powered prostheses can improve functional mobility, potentially increasing quality of life for millions of people living with above-knee...
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 MoreAbbott, Lenzi, and Roundy Receive NSF Grant
Jake Abbott (PI) Tommaso Lenzi (co-PI), and Shad Roundy (co-PI) were awarded a National Science Foundation grant “Magnetic Cogging Parallel-elastic Actuators for Energy-efficient Robotic Legs”. $732,643, 1/1/2023-12/31/2025....
Read MoreAbbott and Rogue Space Systems receive Space Force Grant for Detumbling Space Debris
Jake Abbott and Rogue Space Systems were awarded a Space Force STTR grant “Detumbling of Space Debris Using Magnetic-Field Sources as Robot End-Effectors”. $249,582. 7/5/2022-12/4/2022....
Read MoreAbbott and Rogue Space Systems Receive Space Force Grant
Jake Abbott and Rogue Space Systems were awarded a Space Force STTR grant “Use of Rotating Magnetic Fields to Detumble Irregular Asymmetric Space Debris-Like Objects”. $249,552. 6/27/2022-10/26/2022....
Read MoreAbbott and Hermans Receive NSF Grant
Jake Abbott (PI) and Tucker Hermans (co-PI) were awarded a National Science Foundation grant “Dexterous Magnetic Manipulation of Non-Magnetic Objects with Stationary Electromagnetic Dipole-Field Sources”. $554,285. 5/15/2022-4/30/2025....
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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