Members

Yimesker Yihun  

Dr. Yimesker Yihun is an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Wichita State University (WSU). He received his Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science from Idaho State University in 2014 and his master's degree in Mechanical Engineering Design from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India, in 2007. Dr. Yihun has an extensive academic background, having served as a lecturer at Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia and as a researcher at the University of Salerno in Italy. He is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). His research interests include robot kinematics, control system design, human-robot interaction (HRI), mechanism synthesis applied to multi-fingered robotic hands, and exoskeletons for rehabilitation. Dr. Yihun was honored with the 2020 Wallace Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Engineering at Wichita State University.

Pablo Delgado 

Pablo Delgado is a PhD student in the department of mechanical engineering at Wichita State University. He received his masters degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, NY, Dec 2016, and his bachelors degree from Potificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, San-tiago, Dominican Republic, Dec 2013 both in Electrical Engineering.  Before joining WSU, he was teaching undergraduate courses at  the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, in the Dominican Republic for two years. During his first year of graduate study at the Mechanical Engineering (ME) department at WSU, he developed  fully online instruction materials and computer-based projects for a senior-level course - Mechanical Control Systems (ME 659) and offered it for ME undergraduate students over summer of 2020. He is currently working on an NSF funded research project, Bio-inspired Exoskeletons for an effective human-exoskeleton alignment and coordination.

Nathan Gonzalez

Nathan is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering at Wichita State University.  he is the recipient of the REU funding from an NSF project award #1915872, "Bio-inspired Exoskeletons and Safety in Human-Exoskeleton Cooperation". He is working on upper-arm exoskleton development and testing.

• Thisath Attampola Arachchige Don,  MS student, Mechanical Engineering, 2021.Thesis topic: Development of an adaptive exoskeleton for upper arm rehabilitation.
• Virgil Hubert, MS student, Mechanical Engineering, 2021. Thesis topic: EFFICACY OF UPPER LIMB REHABILITATION PROTOCOLS 
• Jose Esquivel-Ortiz, MS student, Mechanical Engineering, 2021. Thesis topic: Adaptive impedance controller for prosthetic hand object grasping and manipulation.
• Daniel Leal, MS student, Mechanical Engineering, 2020. Thesis topic: Initiating object handover in human-robot collaboration using a multi-modal wearable and deep learning visual system.
• Amirhossien Majidirad,  PhD  Student, Mechanical Engineering, July 2020. Dissertation Topic:  Quantifying Human-Robot Interaction for Therapeutic and IndustrialApplications.  Dr.Majidirad is now an Assistant Professor  in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL.
• Suveen Emmanuel, MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, 2020.  Thesis topic: Planetary Gear Train Microcrack Detection using Vibration, Grayscale Imaging and Convolutional Neural Networks.
• Prasham Maniar, MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, 2019. Thesis topic: Integration of Human Factors with Energy Optimization During Trajectory Planning of Human-Robot Co-Lifting and Manipulation Task.
• Ujjeev Joel Koripalli, MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, 2018. Thesis topic: Automation of Basic Cooking Process through novel Robotic Mechanisms and PLC-Based Systems for Data Acquisition and Supervisory Control.
• Visharath Adhikari, MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, 2017. Thesis topic: Design of a Novel Task-Based Knee Rehabilitation Exoskeleton Device with Assist-As-Needed Control Strategy.
• Nguon Ha,  MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, 2015–2017. Thesis topic: Force Myography Signal-Based Hand Gesture Classification for the Implementation of Real-Time Control System for a Prosthetic Hand. 
• Pedro Figueroa, MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, 2017. Thesis topic: Biomechanical Effects of Ankle Sprain Orthoses. Co-advised by: Dr. Hamid Lankarani and Dr. Nils Hakanson

  Former Undergarduate Students

• Gissele A Mosqueda: Identifying Motivational Factors Affecting Assist-as-Needed Rehabilitation

• Jing Wei: Force Myography-Driven Sensory Feedback to Prosthetic Hand Users.

• Tony Ibarra: Deep learning and Image processing into Insect-type robots for precise location and quantification of Pesticides in the Agriculture Industry.

• Gamida Withanachchi: Force Myography Signal Based Hand Gesture Classification for the implementation of Real-Time Prosthetic Hand control System.

• Sai Rohith: Development of Insect type Robots with Bio-Inspired Leg Mechanism and Control system for Surveillance Applications.

• Sarah Eck & Chelsea Sewell: Effect of Joint Clearance in the Slider-Crank Mechanisms of an Automobile Engine.

•  S. LeSage, M. Warhurst, and L. Sanchez Paredes: Experimental Investigation of Composite Patch Repairs in Aging Aircraft Structures under Fatigue Loading.

• Brad Newby & Nicholas Youngers: Design and control of an active palm roll joint for the human prosthetic hand.

• Ernest Sharp & Ryan Binter: Design and Analysis of a Wheelchair Mounted Robotic Arm with Remote Actuation System.

• Carter Duling: Wheelchair Mounted Robotic Arm Machining and Assembly.

• Matthew Ahlstedt: Design and Control of a 5 DOF Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm.