Papers
12
Total Citations
607
H-Index
10
About
Steven J. Spencer is a robotics and rehabilitation engineering researcher whose work spans two compelling frontiers: assistive exoskeleton technology for stroke recovery and energy-efficient bipedal locomotion. He is perhaps best known for his development and clinical evaluation of BONES, a six-degree-of-freedom arm exoskeleton designed to restore upper limb function in chronic stroke survivors, with related work earning over 120 citations. His contributions extend to complementary devices such as the SUE forearm-wrist rehabilitation robot and the low-cost CRAMER system, collectively advancing the field of robot-assisted neurorehabilitation. Spencer has also made important theoretical contributions, demonstrating that haptic decomposition of complex movements significantly enhances motor learning outcomes—work cited over 70 times. On the locomotion side, he has pioneered energy-efficient bipedal robot design through the STEPPR and WANDERER platforms, leveraging parallel elastic elements and synthetic fiber capstan drives to dramatically reduce power consumption. His interdisciplinary research bridges mechanical design, motor control, and clinical neuroscience, as evidenced by studies linking corticospinal excitability to rehabilitation outcomes. Across more than a decade of published work, Spencer's research has accumulated hundreds of citations, establishing him as a significant contributor to both rehabilitation robotics and humanoid locomotion systems.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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- 9Achieving Versatile Energy Efficiency With the WANDERER Biped Robot25 citations · 2020
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