R. Ekkelenkamp

About

R. Ekkelenkamp is a pioneering figure in rehabilitation robotics, best known for developing the LOPES (LOwer extremity Powered Exoskeleton) system—a landmark device for interactive gait rehabilitation after stroke. His work centers on compliant actuation and impedance control, enabling robots to provide “assist-as-needed” therapy that promotes patient engagement rather than passive movement. His most-cited paper (1,266 citations) details LOPES’s design, combining a freely translatable pelvis segment with a leg exoskeleton featuring three actuated rotational joints. He also advanced series-elastic and Bowden-cable-based actuation (433 citations) to create lightweight, torque-controlled actuators suitable for exoskeletons. A key contribution is his analysis of compliant actuation trade-offs (448 citations), establishing passivity-based stability criteria for haptic rehabilitation devices. Ekkelenkamp’s work on selective control of gait functions and zero-force walking modes has shaped modern robotic therapy, allowing clinicians to target specific subtasks of walking. His research bridges mechanical design, control theory, and clinical application, making LOPES a benchmark in neurorehabilitation engineering.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Design and Evaluation of the LOPES Exoskeleton Robot for Interactive Gait Rehabilitation

   1,266 citations · 2007
2. 2
   Compliant actuation of rehabilitation robots

   448 citations · 2008
3. 3
   A Series Elastic- and Bowden-Cable-Based Actuation System for Use as Torque Actuator in Exoskeleton-Type Robots

   433 citations · 2006
4. 4
   The Effects on Kinematics and Muscle Activity of Walking in a Robotic Gait Trainer During Zero-Force Control

   129 citations · 2008
5. 5
   Design of a Series Elastic and Bowdencable-Based Actuation System for Use As Torque-Actuator in Exoskeleton-Type Training Robots

   125 citations · 2005
6. 6
   LOPES : Selective Control of Gait Functions During the Gait Rehabilitation of CVA Patients

   68 citations · 2005
7. 7
   Selective control of a subtask of walking in a robotic gait trainer(LOPES)

   57 citations · 2007
8. 8
   Design of a compliantly actuated exo-skeleton for an impedance controlled gait trainer robot

   37 citations · 2006
9. 9
   LOPES: a lower extremity powered exoskeleton

   36 citations · 2007
10. 10
    Complementary Limb Motion Estimation based on Interjoint Coordination: Experimental Evaluation

    30 citations · 2007

Key Collaborators

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