Mark L. Nagurka

About

Mark L. Nagurka is a robotics and control systems researcher whose work spans rehabilitation robotics, soft actuator modeling, trajectory optimization, and human-robot interaction. With a career stretching from foundational work in robotic manipulator trajectory planning in the late 1980s through cutting-edge developments in therapeutic and soft robotics, Nagurka has consistently bridged theoretical rigor with practical application. His most impactful contribution is the Haptic TheraDrive system — an affordable, force-feedback haptic robot designed to support post-stroke arm rehabilitation in both clinical and home settings — which has garnered 27 citations and represents a meaningful step toward accessible neurorehabilitation technology. Complementing this, his investigations into braided pneumatic and hydraulic artificial muscles have advanced dynamic modeling and model-based impedance control for soft actuators, earning over 20 additional citations across related studies. Earlier in his career, Nagurka developed Fourier-based and quasi-linearization approaches to optimal trajectory planning for robotic manipulators, establishing robust mathematical frameworks that remain methodologically relevant. His testbed for measuring human arm impedance parameters further reflects his interest in quantifying human-robot interaction dynamics. Across disciplines — from stroke recovery to soft robotics to optimal control — Nagurka's work exemplifies thoughtful, application-driven engineering research.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Design and Development of an Affordable Haptic Robot with Force-Feedback and Compliant Actuation to Improve Therapy for Patients with Severe Hemiparesis

   27 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Theoretical Dynamic Modeling and Validation of Braided Pneumatic Artificial Muscles

   12 citations · 2019
3. 3
   Sliding Mode Impedance Control of a Hydraulic Artificial Muscle

   11 citations · 2018
4. 4
   A Suboptimal Trajectory Planning Algorithm for Robotic Manipulators

   8 citations · 1988
5. 5
   Therapeutic potential of haptic TheraDrive: An affordable robot/computer system for motivating stroke rehabilitation

   6 citations · 2014
6. 6
   A testbed for measurement of human arm impedance parameters

   6 citations · 2002
7. 7
   PID Sliding Mode Control of Prolate Flexible Pneumatic Actuators

   5 citations · 2016
8. 8
   A Robust Wheel Interface With a Novel Adaptive Controller for Computer/Robot-Assisted Motivating Rehabilitation

   4 citations · 2012
9. 9
   Optimal design of robotic manipulator trajectories : a nonlinear programming approach

   4 citations · 2018
10. 10
    Optimal trajectory planning of robotic manipulators via quasi-linearization and state parametrization

    2 citations · 2003

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links