Schedule is subject to change.
Updated 07/27/2026
| Time | Activity / Talk | Details |
| 08:30 – 08:40 | Opening Remarks | Introduction to the workshop goals and objectives. |
| 08:40 – 09:55 | Long Talk Block 1: Biological Principles and Control
(16 minutes each) |
Theme: Focusing on locomotion modeling, neuromuscular control, and biological-inspired design. |
| Massimo Sartori (University of Twente) | ||
| Varun Nalam for Helen Huang (UNC / NC State University) | ||
| Matteo Laffranchi (IIT, Italy) | ||
| Robert Gregg (University of Michigan) | ||
| 09:55 – 10:15 | Panel Discussion 1 | Interactive Q&A focusing on biological models and robotic control. |
| 10:15 – 11:00 | Morning Coffee Break
(Note – we will regroup 15 minutes before the conference’s coffee break is finished) |
|
| 11:00 – 12:30 | Long Talk Block 2: Design and Clinical Applications
(16 minutes each) |
Theme: Focusing on high-torque actuation, clinical outcomes, and hardware durability. |
| Michael Goldfarb (Vanderbilt University) | ||
| Elliott Rouse (University of Michigan) | ||
| Tommaso Lenzi (University of Utah) | ||
| Kinsey Herrin (Georgia Institute of Technology) | ||
| Raffaella Carloni (University of Groningen) | ||
| 12:30 – 12:50 | Panel Discussion 2 | Interactive Q&A on translation and patient-centered metrics. |
| 12:50 – 13:50 | Lunch & Poster Session | Dedicated session highlighting emerging researchers with 10 poster stands. |
| 13:50 – 14:50 | Short Talk Block
(10 minutes each) |
Emerging researchers and international breakthroughs. |
| Rachel Gehlhar Humann (University of Minnesota) | ||
| Max Shepherd (Northeastern University) | ||
| Ryan Posh (University of Michigan, incoming professor at The Ohio State University) | ||
| Patrick Wensing (University of Notre Dame) | ||
| Kyle Embry (Shirley Ryan Ability Lab) | ||
| 14:50 – 15:15 | Panel Discussion 3 | Focus on emerging applications and agile maneuvers. |
| 15:15 – 16:00 | Afternoon Coffee Break
(Note – we will regroup 15 minutes before the conference’s coffee break is finished) |
|
| 16:00 – 18:30 | Demo Session A and B (concurrent) | Live demonstrations using the stage, stairs, and hardware. |
| Demo Session A
· Tommaso Lenzi – Utah Bionic Leg. HGN Lab for Bionic Engineering, University of Utah · Eliott Rouse – Open Source Leg. Neurobionics Lab, University of Michigan · Raffaella Carloni – Powered prosthesis. Robotics Lab, University of Groningen · Patrick Wensing – Open Source Leg v2. Wearable Robotics Laboratory, University of Notre Dame · Representative for Matteo Laffranchi – Unico. Rehab Technologies Lab, Istituto Italiano Di Technologia |
||
| Demo Session B
· Robert Gregg – Low Impedance Leg. Locomotor Control Systems Laboratory, University of Michigan · Max Shepherd – NEUankle. Shepherd Lab, Northeastern University · Michael Goldfarb – The Vanderbilt Powered Prosthesis. Goldfarb CREATE Lab, Vanderbilt University · Varun Nalam (presenting on behalf of Helen Huang) – C3KAP. Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, NC State University · Kyle Embry – Powered Knee Ankle Prototype. Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Northwestern University |
||
| 18:30 – 18:45 | Closing Remarks | Summary of the day, award announcements, and future outlook. |