Papers
33
Total Citations
1,658
H-Index
18
About
Tariq Rahman is a pioneering rehabilitation engineer whose research has fundamentally shaped how technology assists individuals with severe motor impairments, particularly stroke survivors and those with neuromuscular diseases. His most celebrated contribution is the development of the Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX), a passive, gravity-balanced arm orthosis that enables people with profound limb weakness to perform functional arm movements independently. Building on his foundational 1995 work on gravity-balancing articulated mechanisms using springs — cited 159 times — Rahman engineered increasingly sophisticated iterations of this technology, culminating in the Therapy WREX (T-WREX) system, which has garnered over 350 citations and demonstrated measurable rehabilitation gains in randomized controlled trials following chronic stroke. Rahman's research spans robotic stroke rehabilitation, passive exoskeleton design, home-based therapy monitoring, and tremor suppression through optimal digital filtering. His 2006 review of passive exoskeleton devices helped define an entire subfield, while his early comprehensive review of rehabilitation robotics design issues remains a touchstone reference. Collectively, his publications have accumulated over 1,400 citations, reflecting both clinical relevance and engineering innovation. His work uniquely bridges mechanical ingenuity with patient-centered outcomes, making sophisticated rehabilitation technology accessible and practical for real-world use.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2A Simple Technique to Passively Gravity-Balance Articulated Mechanisms159 citations · 1995
- 3Passive exoskeletons for assisting limb movement155 citations · 2006
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- 8Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton90 citations · 2011
- 9Monitoring functional arm movement for home-based therapy after stroke76 citations · 2005
- 10Optimal digital filtering for tremor suppression54 citations · 2000