Team
The people doing the work
The laboratory is currently 4 postdoctoral researchers and 12 doctoral students in the Robotics and Mechanical Engineering graduate programs. Another 38 former graduate students and staff members appear in the alumni list below.
Principal investigator
Robert D. Gregg IV, Ph.D.
Prof. Gregg directs the Locomotor Control Systems Laboratory, where he works on robot design and control, gait biomechanics, and powered orthoses and prostheses. His group established the phase-based control paradigm for powered prosthetic legs and the task-agnostic control paradigm for lower-limb exoskeletons, both now used by research groups beyond Michigan.
Research staff
Postdoctoral researchers
Nikhil Divekar, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ernesto Hernandez Hinojosa, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
AHA Fellow
AHA Fellow
Curt Laubscher, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ryan Posh, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
NIH F32 Fellow
NIH F32 Fellow
Doctoral students
Graduate students
Zarif Cabrera
Ph.D. student (ROB)
Emily Keller
Ph.D. student (ROB)
NSF GRFP Fellow
NSF GRFP Fellow
Victoria (Tori) Landrum
Ph.D. student (ME)
NIH T32 NETP Fellow
NIH T32 NETP Fellow
Amy Lang
Ph.D. student (ME)
Duong Le
Ph.D. student (ROB)
Co-advised by Prof. Maani Ghaffari
Co-advised by Prof. Maani Ghaffari
Albert Lee
Ph.D. student (ROB)
Rajatsurya M
Ph.D. student (ROB)
Jose Montes Perez
Ph.D. student (ROB)
Alex Rosen
Ph.D. student (ME)
C. Andrew Seelhoff
Ph.D. student (ME)
NSF GRFP Fellow
NSF GRFP Fellow
Katharine Walters
Ph.D. student (ROB)
NSF GRFP Fellow
NSF GRFP Fellow
Jiefu Zhang
Ph.D. student (ROB)
Honors
Trainee and group awards
Fellowships, paper awards, and other recognition earned by members of the laboratory, most recent first within each category. Awards from before 2019 were earned while the laboratory was at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Paper and poster awards
- 2025LocoLab, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award (see paper)
- 2025Ernesto Hernandez Hinojosa, 3rd Prize Best Poster Award, International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (see paper)
- 2023Shihao Cheng, Best Student Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (see paper)
- 2023LocoLab, IROS Best Application Paper Award Finalist (see paper)
- 2020LocoLab, IEEE Transactions on Robotics Best Paper Award Honorable Mention (see paper)
- 2020Emma Reznick, Best Paper Award Nominee, IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (see paper)
- 2020Nikhil Divekar, Best Student Paper Award Nominee, IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (see paper)
- 2019LocoLab, Forchheimer Prize Paper Finalist, International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (see paper)
- 2019Emma Reznick, Best Student Poster Award, International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Canada, RehabWeek
- 2019Emma Reznick, Best Abstract Award, International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Canada, RehabWeek
- 2017Edgar Bolivar, Best Student Robotics Paper Award, ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (see paper)
- 2017Saurav Kumar, Best Student Paper Award Finalist, IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (see paper)
- 2015Ge Lv, Best Student Paper Award, IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (see paper)
Research Fellowships
- 2026Katharine Walters, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan
- 2026Ernesto Hernandez Hinojosa, American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2026Victoria Landrum, NIH T32 NETP Fellowship, University of Michigan
- 2025Nikhil Divekar, Tech Transfer Talent Network (T3N) Postdoc Commercialization Fellowship
- 2025C. Andrew Seelhoff, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- 2025Ryan Posh, NIH F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual Fellowship (F32HD116414)
- 2023Emily Keller, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- 2023Shihao Cheng, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan
- 2022José Montes Perez, NIH Diversity Supplement Award, on R01EB031166
- 2022Thomas Kevin Best, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- 2022Katharine Walters, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- 2021Nikhil Divekar, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan
- 2017Rafi Ayub, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- 2015Hanqi “Leon” Zhu, Founder’s Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, UT Dallas
- 2013Dario Villarreal, CONACYT Graduate Fellowship, CONACYT (Mexico)
Achievement awards
- 2026Katharine Walters, Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement, University of Michigan
- 2024Thomas Kevin Best, Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement, University of Michigan
- 2019David Quintero, David Daniel Thesis Award, Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, UT Dallas
- 2018Siavash Rezazadeh, BME Department Staff Research Impact Award, UT Dallas
- 2018Chris Nestani, BME Department Staff Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, UT Dallas
- 2018Nikhil Divekar, Jonsson Family Graduate Fellowship in Bioengineering, UT Dallas
- 2017Ge Lv, Louis Beecherl Jr. Graduate Fellowship, UT Dallas
- 2015Dario Villarreal, Jonsson Family Graduate Fellowship in Bioengineering, UT Dallas
- 2015David Allen, Excellence in Education Doctoral Fellowship, UT Dallas
- 2014Kyle Embry, Excellence in Education Doctoral Fellowship, UT Dallas
- 2013David Quintero, Excellence in Education Doctoral Fellowship, UT Dallas
Alumni
Graduate student and staff alumni
Dissertation titles and current positions, most recent first. Eleven of these alumni now hold faculty appointments; the rest work in robotics, medical device, and related industries.
- Emily Klinkman, Research Engineer 2023-2026
→ Lab Supervisor, UM Robotics - Chris Nestani, Ph.D. (ROB) 2025
Thesis: Design and Implementation of Backdrivable Lower Limb Exoskeletons for Broad Applications
→ Postdoc, Cleveland Clinic - Thomas (Kevin) Best, Ph.D. (ROB) 2025
Thesis: The Development and Evaluation of Biomimetic Control for Robotic Lower-Limb Prostheses: Advancing Toward Real-World Clinical Use
→ Product Designer, Össur
→ Controls Engineer, Amazon Frontier AI & Robotics (FAR) - Ross Cortino, Ph.D. (ROB) 2025
Thesis: Increasing Practicality of Quasi-Direct Drive Robotic Prosthetic Legs through Control and Design Optimization
→ Control Systems Engineer, Alpha-Otto Technologies - Shihao Cheng, Ph.D. (ROB) 2024
Thesis: Controlling a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis During Continuous and Automatic Transitions Between Activities
→ Lead Control Engineer, Shift Robotics - Robert Frei, M.S. (ROB) 2024
→ MIT Lincoln Labs - Xiang Xu, M.S. (ROB) 2024
→ Ph.D. student, The Ohio State University - Susan Zhao, M.S. (ROB) 2023
→ Intuitive - Gray Thomas, Postdoc 2019-2022, Research Investigator 2022-2023
→ Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University - Nikhil Divekar, Ph.D. (ROB) 2023
Thesis: Task-Invariant Control and Pre-clinical Validation of Partial Assist Exoskeletons
→ Postdoc, University of Michigan - Emma Reznick, Ph.D. (ROB) 2023
Thesis: Understanding Individuality in Human Locomotion for Configuring Powered Prosthetic Legs
→ Research Scientist, Fauna Robotics - Marcela De los Rios, M.S. (ROB) 2023
→ Disney Imagineering - Hannah Frame, Research Engineer 2021-2023
→ Nike Sport Research Lab - Patrick Tosh, M.S. (ROB) 2022
→ Applied Intuition - Vamsi Peddinti, Research Engineer 2018-2022
→ Micron Technology - Cara Gonzalez Welker, Postdoc 2021-2022
→ Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder - Edgar Bolivar, Ph.D. (ME) 2019, Postdoc 2019-2021
Thesis: Robust Energy-Efficient Design of Series Elastic Actuators
→ Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame - Jianping Lin, Ph.D. (ROB) 2021, Postdoc 2021-2022
Thesis: Optimal Task-Invariant Energetic Control for Powered Exoskeletons
→ Postdoc, Shanghai Jiao Tong University - Isaac Harris, M.S. (ME) 2021
→ Torc Robotics - Nitish Sanghi, M.S. (ROB) 2021
→ Engineer, Intuitive Surgical - Owen Winship, M.S. (ECE) 2020
→ Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) - Mark Yeatman, Ph.D. (ME) 2020
Thesis: Energy and Passivity Based Control for Bipeds and Assistive Walking Devices
→ Boston Dynamics AI Institute - Jonathan Horn, Ph.D. (ME) 2020
Thesis: Nonholonomic Virtual Constraints for Bipedal Locomotion
→ Jacobs Engineering Group - Kyle Embry, Ph.D. (ME) 2020
Thesis: Kinematic Modeling for Control of Agile Powered Prosthetic Legs over Continuously Varying Speeds and Inclines
→ Research Assistant Professor, Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan Ability Lab - Saurav Kumar, Ph.D. (EE) 2020, co-advised by Prof. Nicholas Gans
Thesis: Extremum Seeking Control for Autonomous Periodic Systems with Applications to Lower-Limb Wearable Robots
→ Assistant Professor, IIT Jodhpur - David Allen, Ph.D. (ME) 2020, co-advised by Prof. Walter Voit
Thesis: Design Principles for Using Dielectric Elastomer Transducers in Actuation Systems
→ Structural Engineer, Lockheed Martin - Toby Elery, Ph.D. (ME) 2020
Thesis: Design and Implications of a Robotic Prosthetic Leg with Low-Impedance Actuation
→ Engineering Manager, Klein Tools - Hanqi "Leon" Zhu, Ph.D. (EE) 2020
Thesis: Design of a Highly Backdrivable, Powered Lower Limb Orthosis for Improved Human Interaction
→ CEO/Founder, Enhanced Robotics - Emma Reznick, M.S. (BME) 2020
Thesis: Individualizing a Powered Prosthetic Leg Over Continuously Varying Tasks
→ PhD Student, University of Michigan - Nikhil Divekar, M.S. (BME) 2020
→ PhD Student, University of Michigan - Ryan Little, M.S. (ME) 2020
Thesis: Manufacturing Methods for Medium-Volume Production of Planar Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
→ Software Engineer, Boeing - Siavash Rezazadeh, Research Scientist (2015-2019)
→ Assistant Professor, University of Denver
→ Senior Applied Scientist, Amazon - Amanda Coldren, Research Orthotist 2018
→ Health Science Manager, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program - Alireza Mohammadi, Postdoc 2016-18
→ Assistant Professor, University of Michigan--Dearborn - David Quintero, Ph.D. (ME) 2018
Thesis: Virtual Constraint Control of Powered Prosthetic Legs: Unifying the Gait Cycle
→ Assistant Professor, San Francisco State University - Ge Lv, Ph.D. (EE) 2018
Thesis: Energy Shaping Control of Powered Lower-Limb Exoskeletons for Assistance of Human Locomotion
→ Assistant Professor, Clemson University - Dario Villarreal, Ph.D. (BME) 2017
Thesis: Investigations of a Unified Phase Variable in Human Locomotion for Applications in Powered Prostheses
→ Assistant Professor, Southern Methodist University
→ Sr. Director, Toyota North America - Anne Martin, Postdoc 2014-15
→ Assistant Professor, Penn State University - Aaron Plauche, M.S. (ME) 2015 and Research Engineer 2015-16
Thesis: A Haptic Feedback System for Phase-Based Sensory Restoration in Above-Knee Prosthetic Leg Users
→ Robotics Design Engineer, Bastian Robotics - Yoni Chatzinoff, Research Engineer 2014-15
→ Research Engineer, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Alumni
Undergraduate student alumni
- Yichen Wang (ME)
- Avani Yerva (ME)
- Erica Santos B.S. (ME) 2023 → M.S. student, UPenn
- Shaurya Gunderia (CSE)
- Samid Ceballos (ME)
- Rounaq Khan (LSA)
- Jean Chang (CE)
- Mitchell Kuppersmith (CS)
- Land Barnum (ME/EE)
- Vincent Huang (CS)
- Sara Borboa (ME)
- Lizbeth Zamora, B.S. (BME) 2021
- Jeremy Warren, B.S. (BME) 2019 → Research Engineer, UT Dallas
- Kayla Shepodd, B.S. (ME) 2019 → SpaceX
- Joshua Laube, B.S. (ME) 2019 → M.S. student, UT Dallas
- Mira Jambusaria, B.S. (CE) 2021
- Richa Patel, B.S. (BME) 2020 → Collins Aerospace
- Caleb Ho, B.S. (ME) 2021 → Senior Mechanical Engineer, Motus Labs
- Parikshit Krishnia, B.S. (EE) 2018
- Lukas Zekarias, B.S. (EE) 2018
- Wayne Hendricks, B.S. (EE) 2019 → M.S. student, UT Dallas
- Calvin Stence, B.S. (ME) 2018 → Rockwell Collins
- Jack Doan, B.S. (CE) 2018 → Rivian
- Rebecca Macaluso, B.S. (BME) 2018 → Research Engineer, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
- Sophie Farmer, B.S. (BME) 2018 → Abbott Labs
- Daniel Lambert, B.S. (EE) 2018 → Raytheon
- Rafi Ayub, B.S. (BME) 2017 → Ph.D. student / NSF GRFP Fellow, Stanford University
- Sanyukta Bihari, B.S. (BME) 2017 → M.D. student, Texas Tech University
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