Babak Hejrati, Ph.D.

Assistant 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

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Utah, 2016

External Engagements:

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Biodesign Lab, 2016-2017
  • Graduate Internship, Contronic Company, 2009
  • Industrial Internship, Festo Corporation, 2003

Teaching Areas: (More Information)

System Dynamics and Controls; Robot Dynamics and Controls

Research Areas: (More Information)

  • Robotics and Robot-Assisted Gait Rehabilitation
  • Controls and Dynamic systems
  • Biomechanics and Motion Analysis
  • Haptics and Virtual Reality
  • Mechanical Design and Manufacturing

Principal Sponsors:

  • NSF, University of Maine

Select Research / Collaboration Activities:

  • Investigating the effect of the Treadport’s features on the gait of spinal-cord-injury patients, NSF
  • Investigating the integration of arm swing in gait rehabilitation to enhance walking recovery, NSF
  • Controller design for the Treadport to enhance the realism of walking on a locomotion interfaces, NSF
  • Design and fabrication of an Underactuated wearable Arm-swing Rehabilitator (UWEAR), NSF
  • Controller design for pneumatic actuators using fast switching on/off valves for robotic applications

Select Publications / Conference Presentations:

  • B. Hejrati, S. Cheesborough, B. Foreman, J.J. Abbott, and A.S. Merrywheather, “Comprehensive Quantitative Investigation of Arm Swing during Walking at Various Speed and Surface Slope Conditions,” Human Movement Science. Vol. 14, pp. 104-115, 2016.
  • B. Hejrati, K.L. Crandall, J.M. Hollerbach, and J.J. Abbott, “Kinesthetic Force Feedback and Belt Control for the Treadport Locomotion Interface,” IEEE Trans. Haptics, Vol. 8, pp. 176-87, 2015.
  • O.R. Barnes, B. Hejrati, and J.J. Abbott, “An Underactuated Wearable Arm-swing Rehabilitator for Gait Training,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, June 2015.
  • B. Hejrati and F. Najafi, “Accurate pressure control of a pneumatic actuator with a novel pulse width modulation-sliding mode controller using a fast switching on/off valve,” Journal of Systems and Control Engineering, Vol. 227, pp. 230-242, 2012.
  • B. Hejrati, D. Hull, J. Black, J.J. Abbott, and J.M. Hollerbach, “Investigation of the Treadport for Gait Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injury,” IEEE International Conference in Medicine and Biology Society, June 2012.

Professional Activities / Memberships:

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • University of Utah Robotics Center
  • Robot Inspector, Utah’s FIRST Robotic Competition, Salt Lake City, UT, March 2015