Junkai Lu

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Junkai Lu is a leading researcher in the field of physical human-robot interaction, with a primary focus on the design and control of series elastic actuators (SEAs). His work is foundational to creating robots that are both powerful and intrinsically safe for direct contact with humans. Lu’s major contribution lies in developing a compact, lightweight, and compliant **cable-driven rotary series elastic actuator**, which overcomes the friction and bulk challenges of traditional designs. This innovation, detailed in his most-cited work (31 citations), enables precise, low-impedance torque control critical for rehabilitation and assistive robotics. He has further advanced the field by addressing the practical limitations of **robust impedance control** (12 citations), demonstrating how to maintain accurate force rendering despite model uncertainties and actuation dynamics. His research on **motion control of SEAs** (8 citations) provides essential frameworks for ensuring system-level stability and user safety during dynamic interaction. By tackling the core challenges of compliance, control robustness, and compact actuation, Junkai Lu’s work directly enables the next generation of wearable robots and rehabilitation devices that can safely and effectively augment human capability.