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  • Group Photo Fall 2025
  • Utah powered neck exoskeleton for people with dropped head syndrome
  • A chaired-mounted cable-driven 6-DOF neck exoskeleton for head-neck rehabilitation
  • Cable-driven exosuit for head-neck movement assistance

News

  • April 17, 2026 - UWR Lab presented work at the 2026 Rocky Mountain ASB! Ana, Claudia, and Joey delivered podium talks and Colin and Robert presented their posters. All presentations were well-received. Congratulations to all!
  • April 15, 2026 - Two papers from UWR Lab are accepted to present at the International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob 2026) in August. Congratulations to authors Colin, Joey, and Minhong!
  • January 30, 2026 - Two papers from UWR Lab are accepted to present at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) this June. Congratulations to all authors. Preprints are available here and here.
  • December 22, 2025 - UWR Lab published a paper in IEEE TNSRE on evaluating the range of motion with neck support devices using daily activities. Congratulations to authors Kimia Khoshnami, Dr. Edoardo Battaglia, Dr. Mark Bromberg, and Dr. Haohan Zhang.
  • November 26th, 2025 - Congratulations to Ana and Robert for passing their Qualifying Exams!
  • August 18th, 2025 - UWRL welcomes Claudia Diez to the lab as a new PhD student.
  • June 30th, 2025 - Professor Zhang participated in a panel organized by the office of undergraduate research to share insights regarding graduate school preparation and application to summer undergraduate research students.
  • May 30th, 2025 - The team from the University of Utah, led by Professor Zhang, receives a nomination for the Gupta Family Endowed Prize for Innovation in ALS Care. The team also includes collaborators Dr. Mark Bromberg (neurology professor), Dr. Daniel Brown (CS professor), and Dr. Jake George (ECE & PM&R professor). The team was nominated for their contributions to improving care for neck weakness in patients with ALS using robotics.
  • May 18th, 2025 - UWRL presented two RA-L papers at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), the most prestigious robotics conference, in Atlanta, GA. Congrats to presenters Ian Bales and Joey Brignone. More information about the paper can be found in our publications.
  • May 8th, 2025 - Congratulations to Adam Reinsch for successfully defending his M.S. Thesis.
  • April 28th, 2025 - Congratulations to Kimia Khoshnami for successfully defending her M.S. thesis.
  • April 9th, 2025 - Professor Zhang received the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for the John and Macia Price College of Engineering from the Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Utah.
  • April 4th, 2025 - UWRL presented 8 posters at the annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain American Society of Biomechanics. Congratulate the presenters Kimia Khoshnami, Joey Brignone, Robert Macdonald, Ana Alvarez, Colin Rubow, and Ian Bales.
  • March 20th, 2025 - Ian Bales received UofU Graduate Research Fellowship for FY2025! This is the first such award given to an ME graduate student since 2015. Congrats Ian!
  • March 6th, 2025 - Congratulate Logan Lancaster for successfully defending his M.S. Thesis!
  • January 31st, 2025 - Two papers by UWRL members will be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in May. Congratulations!

About

We specialize in wearable robotic solutions by leveraging mechanism design and modern computational methods. We strive to understand the sensorimotor system through experiments using wearable robotic platforms. Our laboratory aspires to make a positive impact on daily living of individuals with motor impairments through increased independence and social inclusion.

As part of the University of Utah Robotics Center, our laboratory is affiliated with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah. We are committed to creating a productive and collaborative research environment. We welcome all new ideas, and we promote fair education and training in robotics.

Funding