Author: Admin

New Publication: Advancing Upper-Limb FES for Clinical Use

Congratulations to Marshall Trout and co-authors Clay Stanley, Kristen Saad, and Abby Harrison on their recent publication in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering!

Their paper, “An Intuitive, Bidirectional, Adaptive Functional Electrical Stimulation System for Hand Rehabilitation,” presents a new FES stimulation model designed to be quick to set up and stable over time — meaning less time spent adjusting stimulation parameters, and more time focused on therapy.

This work represents a meaningful step forward in making upper-limb FES a practical option for clinical use. We encourage you to read the full paper and congratulate Marshall and the team on this achievement!

🔗 Read the paper on IEEE Xplore

Utah NeuroRobotics Lab Featured in $100M Research Investment Story

A huge shout-out to Fredi, Marshall Trout, Leonardo, and Caden Hamrick for representing the lab and showcasing our research to state legislators at the Utah Higher Education Appropriations Committee Meeting last week!

Their efforts clearly made an impression — our lab is featured on the front page of a recent article detailing Utah’s plans to invest $100 million into university research. It’s incredibly exciting to see our work recognized at the state level, and a testament to the passion and dedication this team brings to every opportunity.

Thank you all for representing the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab so well. Way to go, team!

🔗 Read the full article at @theU

Utah NeuroRobotics Lab at STEM: Day on the Hill

Members of the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab recently attended STEM: Day on the Hill at the Utah State Capitol — an annual event bringing together industry leaders, researchers, educators, and government officials to celebrate and advocate for STEM education in Utah. It was a great opportunity to connect with the broader Utah STEM community and showcase the innovative work happening right here in our lab.

Learn more about the event here: https://stem.utah.gov/stem-day-on-the-hill/

NeuroRobotics Lab Partners with Meta to Advance Accessible Wearable Technology for People with Limited Hand Mobility

The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab, led by Dr. Jacob A. George, has launched a new research collaboration with Meta to evaluate how consumer-grade wrist wearables can make human-computer interaction more accessible for people with varying levels of hand mobility. Building on previous research that demonstrated how surface electromyography (EMG) signals remain viable for control even with reduced signal-to-noise ratios, Dr. George’s team will now assess Meta Neural Band technology with end users who have neuromuscular conditions. The research will examine how EMG-based gesture controls can enable individuals to operate computers, smart home devices, and potentially recreational mobility equipment like the University of Utah’s TetraSki. This collaboration emphasizes co-design with end users to ensure the technology meets diverse needs and can be customized for people with conditions such as muscular dystrophy, stroke, spinal cord injury, ALS, and limb loss.

Learn More: Read the full article on Meta’s blog: A Look at the University of Utah’s Accessibility Research Using Meta Neural Band

Nature Communications paper hits major global impact milestone

Congratulations to Marshall Trout and co-authors Fredi, Connor Olsen, Taylor Hansen, and David J. Warren on their recent publication in Nature Communications.

The paper has already received significant global visibility, including:

  • Altmetric score: 813 (99th percentile; top 5% of all research outputs tracked)

  • 143 unique news stories, syndicated across 500+ outlets

  • Estimated reach of 406,729 unique viewers

Read the Altmetric report: Click Here
Paper: Shared human-machine control of an intelligent bionic hand improves grasping and decreases cognitive burden for transradial amputees

Spotlight on Fredi Mino: Inspiring the Next Generation of Bioengineers

Our lab is excited to share that Fredi is featured in a new online educational module created for middle school students through University of Utah Health and the Genetic Science Learning Center.

The module introduces students to bioengineering through the lens of prosthetics, and our team partnered with the Genetic Science Learning Center to help shape the content. As part of the project, Fredi appears in several videos, guiding viewers through the lab and talking about his path in engineering and prosthetics research.

The series also includes extensive b-roll footage from the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) shared spaces and highlights many of the researchers who work there, giving students an inside look at what it’s like to work in a modern rehabilitation and bioengineering environment.

You can explore the module here:
Bioengineering & Prosthetics – Working in a Lab
https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/careers/lab/