Education:

• MS, Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 2010
• BS, Engineering Mechanics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2007

Research:

The motivation for my research in the Neuromechanics Lab is to develop intuitive, low-force human-robot hand interactions to improve human walking. While current physical human-robot interactions aid and improve walking primarily through direct mechanical effects – i.e. by applying large forces to power movement or by supporting significant bodyweight, I take a different approach that relies on human sensorimotor engagement. Low-force hand interactions may be beneficial for rehabilitation and teaching movement skills by maintaining or improving the person’s existing abilities. Use of low hand forces could also be safer, more convenient, and require less electrical power than existing approaches to aiding walking. 

For my PhD, I developed a novel robotic testbed and conducted human-human and human-robot studies to 1) demonstrate feasibility for low-force hand interactions to alter walking, and 2) show that gait changes are achieved through human sensorimotor engagement instead of direct mechanical effects from a human or robot partner. This work contributes to greater scientific understanding of human sensorimotor control and provides design approaches for robotic controllers with a wide range of engineering applications in fields such as physical assistance and rehabilitation (e.g. robotic walkers), industrial manufacturing (e.g. human-robot load-transportation), physical education, and recreation. 

Selected Publications:

• M Wu, ME Hackney, LH Ting, “Low-force human-human hand interactions induce gait changes.” Scientific Reports, 2024.
• M Wu, Y Qiu, J Ueda, L H Ting, “A Versatile Emulator for Haptic Communication to Alter Human Gait Parameters.” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2022.
• Y Qiu, M Wu, LH Ting, J Ueda. “Prefilter Design for Improved Spectral Flatness of Physical Pseudorandom Perturbations,” in IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 2022.
• M Wu, L Drnach, SM Bong, YS Song, LH Ting. “Human-Human Hand Interactions Aid Balance During Walking by Haptic Communication.” Frontiers of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, 2021.
• Y Qiu, M Wu, LH Ting, J Ueda. “Maximum Spectral Flatness Control of a Manipulandum for Human Motor System Identification.” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2021.
• JP Gill, S Garcia, LH Ting, M Wu, HJ Chiel. “neurotic: Neuroscience Tool for Interactive Characterization.” eNeuro, 2020.