Marcia O'Malley
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, George R. Brown School of Engineering
Thomas Michael Panos Family Professor in Mechanical Engineering
SURF Mentoring
Potential projects/topics: Computer Aided Design (CAD), robotics for rehabilitation, data analysis for human subject trials, basic control implementation
Potential skills gained: Computer aided design, general foundation of robotics, data analysis skills,
Required qualifications: Recommended MATLAB and/or SolidWorks or equivalent software
Direct mentor: Graduate Student
Research Areas
Marcia O’Malley’s research addresses issues that arise when humans physically interact with robotic systems, with a focus on training and rehabilitation in virtual environments. The main goal of this research is to develop and demonstrate an adaptive training algorithm based on the display of artificial force cues within a simulated environment. These cues, displayed via an arm exoskeleton haptic feedback device, will convey additional information to the trainee beyond the physical laws that govern the simulated environment, such as desired trajectories within the environment, desired exploration speeds, and suitable interaction forces during task completion. The adaptive training algorithm will tune itself based on the individual's performance.