Homayoon Kazerooni

Homayoon Kazerooni (born in Kazerun, Iran) is an Iranian-American roboticist and professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.^[1]

Dr. Kazerooni is the director of the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory and also the Co-founder and Chief Scientist of Berkeley Bionics.^[2][3] The Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory is also affectionately known as "KAZ LAB".

Dr. Kazerooni’s work focuses on the control of human-machine systems specific to lower human extremities. After developing BLEEX, ExoHiker, and ExoClimber – three super-light, load-carrying exoskeletons – Berkeley Bionics and his team created HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier). It is the first energetically-autonomous, orthotic, lower extremity exoskeleton, providing the ability for its user to carry 200-pound weights over any sort of terrain for an extended period of time without undue effort.

These exoskeletons reduce the possibility of the wearer becoming fatigued and reaching their physiological endurance limit during critical military or industrial missions. HULC technology is currently licensed to Lockheed Martin for military applications. Dr. Kazerooni is currently working on extending this technology to aid persons who have experienced a stroke, spinal cord injuries or medical conditions that obligate them to use a wheelchair.

In 2011, the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory enabled Austin Whitney, a paraplegic student at the University of California, Berkeley, to walk for commencement.^[4] Dr. Kazerooni has started a project to develop low-cost exoskeleton systems to enable independence for individuals with gait deficiencies called the AUSTIN Project.^[5] The Austin project is named after the first pilot for their medical exoskeleton.

Prior to his research work on lower extremity exoskeletons, Dr. Kazerooni led his team to successfully develop robotics systems that enhance human upper extremity strength. The results of this work led to a new class of intelligent assist devices currently being used by workers worldwide for manipulating heavy objects in distribution centers and factories. Dr. Kazerooni has also been conducting research on human performance in coordinated haptic-visual virtual environments under several contracts from NASA. Other research interests are biomimetic design, haptics, non-linear control systems, embedded systems, networked control systems, power regeneration, monopropellant and portable energy generation methods for mobile platforms.

Early in his career, Dr. Kazerooni was a recipient of the outstanding ASME Investigator Award, and has also won Discover Magazine’s Technological Innovation Award, and the McKnight-Land Grant Professorship. His research was recognized as the most innovative technology of the year in New York Times Magazine. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in the robotics community notably editor of two journals: ASME Journal of Dynamics Systems and Control and IEEE Transaction on Mechatronics.

Dr. Kazerooni holds a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and has over 30 years of mechanical engineering experience. He has published more than two hundred articles, delivered over 70 plenary lectures in the U.S. and internationally, and holds seventeen pertinent patents. As a noted authority on robotics, he is frequently profiled and quoted in the media.

Education

• Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985, Design, Control Systems, Robotics, Human-Machine Systems, Manufacturing Machines.
• MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1982, Design, Control Systems, Robotics, Manufacturing Machines.
• MSME, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1980, Design, Control Systems, Dynamics and Vibration.

Patents

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• Human power amplifier for lifting load with slack prevention apparatus ^[6]
• Device and Method for Wireless Lifting Assist Devices ^[7]
• Pneumatic human power amplifier module ^[8]
• Mechanical grapple for grabbing and holding sacks and bags ^[9]

References