James Schmiedeler, Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering and the head of the Locomotion and Biomechanics Lab here at the University of Notre Dame, presents on his research project, "The Mechanics of Walking: Biped Robots and Human Rehabilitation," to an interdisciplinary group of scholars, artists, and scientists comprised of fellows, guest faculty and students. His research interests fall broadly into the areas of kinematics, dynamics, and machine design, particularly as applied to the development of robotic systems and an understanding of human motor coordination. His current work focuses on biped robot locomotion, human recovery from stroke and spinal-cord-injury, robot-assisted rehabilitation, prosthetic devices, and the design of shape-changing mechanisms. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was recognized with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Some recent publications include “Reaction wheel actuation for improving planar biped walking efficiency” in IEEE Transactions on Robotics (with Brown, T.; 2016); “Predicting human walking gaits with a simple planar model” in Journal of Biomechanics (with Martin, A.E.; 2014); “Training conditions that best reproduce the joint powers of unsupported walking” in Gait & Posture (with Worthen-Chaudhari, L., and Basso, D.M.; 2015); and “Relative efficacy of various strategies for visual feedback in standing balance activities” in Experimental Brain Research (with Kennedy, M., Crowell, C.R., Striegel, A., and Villano, M.; 2013).