Robert E. Kearney
Papers
5
Total Citations
38
H-Index
4
About
Robert E. Kearney’s research lies at the intersection of biomedical engineering, rehabilitation robotics, and human motor control, with a focus on restoring function after neurological injury. He is best known for pioneering work in hand rehabilitation, where he developed a two-degree-of-freedom robotic interface that simultaneously addresses three critical post-stroke impairments: reduced grip strength, poor grip coordination, and limited finger extension. His 2013 study characterizing grasp-twist coordination in healthy and post-stroke subjects (9 citations) provided foundational insights into how the nervous system coordinates these movements and how stroke disrupts that synergy. Kearney also made significant contributions to respiratory monitoring, designing a contact-free respiration monitor for smart beds and ambulatory use (2010, 18 citations) that overcomes the reliability and cost limitations of existing sensors. His work extends to ankle biomechanics, where he characterized kinematic and dynamic properties essential for designing prostheses and exoskeletons (2016). With a career spanning from early micro-robotic studies of muscle (1992) to modern rehabilitation interfaces, Kearney’s research has directly informed the development of more effective, patient-centered technologies for motor recovery and assistive devices.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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