Babak Hejrati, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

The University of Maine
Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center, Room 256
Orono, ME 04469-5711
(207) 581-6689 or -4642; babak.hejrati@maine.edu

External Engagements:

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Biodesign Lab, 2016-2017

Teaching Areas:

System Dynamics and Controls; Modern Control; Robot Dynamics and Controls

Research Areas: (Biorobotics Biomechanics Lab)

  • Robot-Assisted Gait Training
  • Wearable Robotics
  • Biomechanics and Motor Control
  • Controls and Dynamic systems
  • Haptics and Virtual Reality

Principal Sponsors:

  • NSF, NIH/NIA, DOE

Select Research / Collaboration Activities:

  • Interlimb Neural Coupling to Enhance Gait Rehabilitation, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award (NSF-CAREER)
  • Wearable Haptic Feedback System for Home-based Gait Training for Older Adults, National Institute of Health/ National Institute on Aging (NIH/NIA)
  • Design, optimization, and control of floating offshore wind farms for optimal energy production, Department of Energy (DOE)
  • Wave Forecasting Model for Floating Offshore Wind System Twin Design (DOE)

Select Publications / Conference Presentations:

  • M. T. Hossain * , M. A. Noghani * , B. Sidaway, and B. Hejrati, “Investigating the efficacy of a tactile feedback system to increase the gait speed of older adults,” Human Movement Science, vol. 90, p. 103103, 2023.
  • M. A. Noghani * , M. T. Hossain * , and B. Hejrati, “Modulation of arm swing frequency and gait using rhythmic tactile feedback,” IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 31, pp. 1542–1553, 2023.
  • M. S. Rahman * and B. Hejrati, “A low-cost three-axis force sensor for wearable gait analysis systems,” Journal of Medical Devices, vol. 16, no. 2, p. 021012, 2022.
  • D. Chizhik * and B. Hejrati, “Development and comprehensive evaluation of a new spring-steel-driven glove for grasping assistance during activities of daily living,” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, vol. 236, no. 2, pp. 259–268, 2022.
  • M. Alizadeh Noghani * , D. Browning * , V. Caccese, E. DePoy, S. Gilson, R. Beaumont, and B. Hejrati, “Design and evaluation of the afari: a three-wheeled mobility and balance support device for outdoor exercise,” Assistive technology, pp. 1–10, 2021.

Professional Activities / Memberships:

  • Principal Investigator at the VA Healthcare System
  • Chair of Robotics Minor
  • Associate Member of UMaine Center on Aging
  • Faculty of Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE)
  • Associate Member of UMaine Institute of Medicine
  • Member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)