Dr. Rajiv Dubey, Chair and Professor

E-mail : dubey@eng.usf.edu

Website:

Telephone: 813-974-2280

Location: ENC 2300

Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, 1986

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, 1982

B. Tech. Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, 1978

Research Interests

Design, simulation and testing of haptic interfaces and assistive devices for persons with disabilities; rehabilitation engineering; smart prosthetics and orthotics; robotic/telerobotic applications in healthcare, space, undersea, and nuclear waste management; dynamic systems and controls.

Recent Research Projects

Rehabilitation engineering & technology program

Design and development of wheelchair mounted robotic arms

Augmentation of manipulation capabilities of persons with disabilities using scaled and sensor assisted teleoperation

Telemanipulation enhancement through user’s motion intention recognition and fixture assistance

Human-machine cooperative control of telerobotic systems

Rehabilitation Engineering and Technology Program

This research focuses on the design and development of rehabilitation robotic systems for maximizing the manipulation and mobility functions of persons with disabilities. These robotic systems can serve as assistive as well as therapeutic devices. In assistive systems, human–machine cooperative control is used to map limited human input into complex motion using sensor assisted scaled teleoperation. Applications include the design of a reconfigurable wheelchair-mounted robotic arm (WMRA), workstation robotic arm, and joystick controlled advanced driving systems. The design of intelligent therapeutic systems is based on sensor-fusion technology to assist individuals with disabilities. In therapeutically training procedures, the learning or re-learning process of a particular task will require less assistive response from a hybrid-deliberative system (HDS) as therapy progresses in step with patient skills. Rehabilitation robotic systems help mobility-impaired persons with limitations of upper extremities to do their activities of daily living (ADL) resulting in independent living, better employment outcomes and improved quality of life.

Sponsor: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - FL/DOE

Principal Investigator: Rajiv Dubey

Collaborators: Tennyson Wright

Demonstration Project on Prosthetics and Orthotics

Literature and surveys often describe weight and lack of function as major reasons for rejection of upper limb prostheses by amputees. By using a motion analysis camera system to analyse basic upper extremity tasks including collecting outcome measures such as joint angles, forces and moments, electromyography and energy costs, design criteria needed for improvement may be discovered. Path trajectories and velocity and acceleration of the movements may also provide information to advance upper limb prosthetic design. This research project will create a normal or average kinematic and kinetic profile and then evaluate current upper limb prosthetic design using similar techniques.  After gathering this information, design criteria will be established, improvements will be made and the changes in function and weight issues of the upper extremity prostheses will be documented.

Sponsor: US Department of Education

Co-Principal Investigator: Rajiv Dubey

Collaborators: William S. Quillen