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The Human Dynamics and Controls Laboratory applies principles from user-centered design, soft and hard robotics, wearables, musculoskeletal biomechanics, and movement analysis. The group’s work has been supported by NSF, NIH, Dept of Homeland Security, and the Jump ARCHES program at UIUC.

The HDCL is currently focusing on three main research areas that our group and our healthcare and academic partners are exploring to improve the life of people with physical or mental disability.

  • PURE (Personalized Unique Rolling Experience), a compact, self-balancing mobility device for manual wheelchair users that features multi-directional, hands-free movement. PURE breaks the mold of the traditional wheelchair in having the user sit above a lightweight powered chassis with a single large spherical wheel that is driven with lean-to-steer technology. (YouTube link and associated articles overview the motivation and Gen 2 prototype operated by our collaborator Coach Adam Bleakney, who has very limited torso movement – yet still able to control PURE.)
  • Robotic training simulators that mimic behaviors of human patients to help healthcare learners practice and improve their clinical techniques used during neurological examinations (spasticity, rigidity, clonus, tendon reflex, strength).
  • Development of wearable intelligent technologies to afford clinicians and researchers focusing on psychosocial and behavioral issues, such as stress and anxiety, with real-time multimodal data to assess human function in the real world.

These projects involve large teams of faculty, staff, and students across engineering, industrial design, kinesiology, and disability services, and clinicians in neurology, physical & occupational therapy, and mental health.

Lab Group Photos

Meeting on zoomHDCL Spring 2004
HDCL Fall 2024
HDCL Fall 2024
HDCL Fall 2024
HDCL Summer 2024. Farewell Party for Keona!
HDCL Spring 2024
HDCL Spring 2024
HDCL Spring 2024
HDCL Fall 2023. Congratulations to Dr. Yinan Pei!
HDCL Fall 2023. Congratulations to Dr. Yinan Pei!
HDCL Summer 2023. Congratulations to Dr. Yu Chen and Nadja Marin!
HDCL Summer 2023.
HDCL Summer 2023
HDCL Spring 2023
HDCL Spring 2023
HDCL Summer 2022
HDCL Spring 2022 (wild and together again!)
HDCL Spring 2021
HDCL Fall 2019
HDCL lab reunion at ISB/ASB 2019
HDCL Fall 2017. Add Dr. Maria Fox (REEF), Dr. Nick Thompson (3M), soon-to-be Drs. Chenzhang Xiao, Leo Song, Yinan Pei
HDCL Spring 2016. Farewell lunch for Dr. Mazhar Islam (Intel)
HDCL Fall 2015
HDCL Fall 2014
HDCL Fall 2013. Add Dr. Mazhar Islam (Intel), Dr. Matt Petrucci (Stanford), Dr. Morgan Boes, MD/PhD (U Minnesota), Soon-to-be Dr. Chenzhang Xiao
HDCL Spring 2008. Add Dr. Yifan (David) Li (founder, CEO, Hesai Tech, China)
HDCL Spring 2007. Note Professors Alex Shorter (U Michigan, ME), Pilwon Hur (GIST, Korea, ME), Kiwon Park (Incheon National University, Korea, ME), Louis DiBerardino (Ohio Northern U, ME)
HDCL Fall 2005. Note Professors Raziel Riemer (Ben Gurion U, Israel, IE), Alex Shorter (U Michigan, ME)
HDCL Spring 2004. Note Professors Molly (Hathaway) Goldstein (UIUC, ISE); Kurt Beschorner (UPitt, Bioe); Matty Major (Northwestern, NUPOC)

Recent Posts

Prof. Liz and HDCL grad student Mahshid presenting PURE project work at ASB Conference 2024!

We are happy to share that Prof. Liz and grad student Mahshid had presented two exciting pieces of our team's ...

HDCL grad student Max presenting her work on RADWear Project at IEEE EMBC 2024!

In collaboration with Dr. Manuel Hernandez, we are pleased to present our work on the RADWear study at the IEEE ...

Farewell Party for HDCL Member Keona!

HDCL members gathered together at the Big Groove Tavern onJuly 20th, 2024, to celebrate Keona for getting a position at ...

Congratulations to Max for passing her Ph.D. Prelim Exam!

HDCL graduate student, Maxine He, had successfully passed her prelim exam for Ph.D. in Neuroscience onJune 20th, 2024. Congratulations, Max! ...

Congratulations to Mahshid for passing her Ph.D. Preliminary Exam!

HDCL graduate student, Mahshid Mansouri, had successfully passed her prelim exam on May 24th, 2024. Congratulations, Mahshid! ...

Congratulations to Dr. Yu Chen and Dr. Abdul Alkurdi!

Proud moments at the hooding ceremony! Heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Yu Chen and Dr. Abdul Alkurdi on completing this significant ...