Category: News

Engineers at The University of Texas at Arlington have developed a lightweight, air-powered soft robotic exoskeleton that helps reduce muscle injuries and improve workplace safety. The Pneumatically Actuated Soft Elbow Exoskeleton (PASE) assists arm movement during lifting and assembly tasks that helps prevent musculoskeletal disorders affecting millions of workers each year.

Funded by UTA’s Interdisciplinary Research Program, the project was led by Dr. Mahmudur Rahman from the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering, with co-principal investigator Dr. Muthu Wijesundara from UTARI’s Biomedical Technologies Division; Veysel Erel, research scientist III at UTARI; Eshwara Prasad Sridhar, graduate research assistant in the Department of IMSE. Initial tests involving participants aged between 18-45 using the exoskeleton showed up to a 22% reduction in muscle activity and reported less fatigue during lifting tasks.

UTARI’s Biomedical Technologies Division participated in the ninth annual Adaptive Sports Expo at UTA’s Maverick Activities Center, presenting research aimed at making exercise more accessible and engaging for people of all abilities.

Among the featured technologies was the Adaptive Exergame Rower, a rowing machine designed for wheelchair users. Visitors could try the equipment while playing a rowing video game, racing to complete 500 meters in the shortest time. The live leaderboard added a fun and competitive element that drew plenty of smiles and repeat attempts. The Adaptive Exergame Rower received positive feedback from all those who tried it. The Dual Player Cycling Machines also drew attention, featuring two linked bikes that power a cooperative game where one user pedals with their feet and the other cycles with their hands to move a virtual boat. Attendees said they enjoyed the chance to exercise and play together.

This new development reflects UTARI’s role as a responsible community partner and its ongoing commitment to advancing technology that supports health, inclusion, and quality of life and contributing to the University’s strategic goals.

Dr. Xin (Jeffrey) Liu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at UTA and a researcher with the Institute for Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM) at UTARI, has been awarded a $750,000 NASA grant, dedicating to additively manufactured (AM) metamaterials that improve the safety of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). This project will pioneer energy-absorbing lattice materials, expand hands-on student training, and build regional partnerships that accelerate AAM technologies from lab to flight.

At the heart of the effort is a new class of adaptive, multi-stage energy-absorption metamaterials that can be tailored for landing structures to enhance survivability under extreme conditions while keeping aircraft lightweight. PI Dr. Liu will collaborate with Dr. Yiran (Emma) Yang in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering department at UTA, Dr. Shiyao Lin and Dr. Robert Taylor in the MAE department at UTA, and Dr. Sameehan Joshi in the Materials Science and Engineering at University of North Texas for this highly interdisciplinary research. This project will integrate materials science, advanced manufacturing, computational mechanics, and structural design with a clear line of sight to the needs of the 3D-printed aircraft community.

“With NASA’s support, we’re unlocking the potential of advanced metamaterials that will make aircraft lighter, safer, and more efficient” said Dr. Xin Liu, principal investigator. “By coupling research breakthroughs with internships, workshops, and competitions, we’re growing the workforce and accelerating real-world impact for AAM.”

Why it matters: As cities prepare for next-generation air transport, safety, infrastructure, and vertiport operations demand materials that are both lightweight and high-performance. Dr. Liu’s team targets that need by delivering tailorable energy-dissipation mechanisms and a community-centered pathway to train the engineers who will design, manufacture, and test tomorrow’s aircraft structures.

We are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Richard M. Voyles, Automation and Robotics Chair, as the new Executive Director of the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI), effective October 1.

Dr. Voyles joins UTARI as a distinguished leader and innovator in applied research, bringing with him a career that spans industry, academia, and government. He joins us from Purdue University, where he led the Collaborative Robotics Lab and served as the Daniel C. Lewis Professor of the Polytechnic and Professor of Robotics in the School of Engineering Technology—experience that strategically compliments and strengthens UTARI’s suite of cutting-edge capabilities.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Voyles has significantly shaped national research initiatives through his roles at the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he launched the National Robotics Initiative and co-founded the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program.

As Executive Director, Dr. Voyles will lead UTARI in advancing our mission, expanding our reach, and deepening our strategic partnerships. His proven experience in bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application will be invaluable as we continue to drive innovation throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth region and beyond.

His appointment marks an exciting new chapter for UTARI, and we are confident that that his visionary leadership and strategic expertise will be instrumental in strengthening the institute and expanding its influence as we continue to propel UTA to the forefront of discovery.

We’re proud to announce the successful launch of UT Arlington’s new netted drone facility—a space built for innovation, safety, and the future of aerial technology.

Though the grand opening has come and gone, the energy it sparked continues to propel us forward. The event marked a major milestone in UTA’s commitment to advancing drone research and development. Attendees got a first look at the fully enclosed testing environment, where drones can fly freely while remaining safely contained—ideal for prototyping, training, and performance testing.

This facility isn’t just a structure—it’s a launchpad for ideas. With its reinforced netting and modular layout, it offers a controlled space for experimentation, collaboration, and breakthroughs in drone technology.

Dr. Endel Iarve, UTARI Institute for Predictive Performance Methodologies Director and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UTA, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society for Composites (ASC), one of the highest honors in the field. The ASC Fellowship recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the composites community through research, education, and service. Dr. Iarve will be honored during the Awards Ceremony at the 2025 ASC Annual Technical Conference taking place October 6-8, 2025, in Dayton, Ohio.

More information on the ASC Annual Technical Conference: https://ascdayton.com/

UTARI is proud to announce that Dr. Nicholas Gans and his research group have received the Kazuo Tanie Award at the IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN 2025) in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The award was presented in recognition of their paper, “Field Testing an Assistive Robot Teleoperation System for People Who Are Legally Blind.” The award marks an important milestone for UTARI’s contributions to Human-Robot Interaction research.

The award-winning paper was coauthored by Vishwaak C. Thamaraiselvan, Param D. Salunkhe, and Michail Theofanidis, and conducted in collaboration with Professor Fillia Makedon and her research group. The project was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) EAGER award HCC: Exploring Human Factors: Is a Teleoperated Robotics Framework Feasible for Persons Who Are Visually Impaired?

Visit https://www.ro-man2025.org/awards

Dr. Xin (Jeffrey) Liu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UTA and a researcher with the Institute for Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM) at UTARI, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant as the Principal Investigator for a $600,000 collaborative research project with Purdue University.

The project aims to revolutionize the way engineers model and design advanced materials such as composites, metamaterials, soft materials, and architected materials. These materials are widely used in many engineering fields, such as aircrafts for their strength-to-weight advantages, defense structures for enhanced vibration damping and acoustic control, and automative and space systems for their highly tailorable multifunctional performance. However, these materials are inherently heterogeneous and multiscale, making them both powerful and challenging to model. Dr. Liu’s team at UTA will work with Dr. Wenbin Yu’s team at Purdue to develop OpenMSG, a cloud-based, open-source multiscale modeling platform that integrates the Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG) theory with multi-fidelity ML frameworks. OpenMSG will enable ultra-efficient predictions of mechanical and multiphysics behaviors in highly heterogeneous materials and structures. The project will also deliver a comprehensive suite of open-access tools, curated datasets, and training resources, hosted on the widely recognized cdmHUB Community, an AI-powered online community for composites modeling and design.

“This project not only advances the science of multiscale modeling but also contributes to workforce development in ML-assisted materials and structural engineering,” said Dr. Liu. “By making these tools accessible to researchers, educators, and industry, we aim to foster a sustainable global community dedicated to data-driven materials innovation.”

The collaboration with Purdue University brings together expertise in advanced modeling, AI integration, and cyberinfrastructure development to ensure that OpenMSG becomes a lasting, impactful resource for the engineering community.

UTARI is excited to share that Dr. Nicholas Gans, principal research scientist and head of the Automation and Intelligent Systems Division at the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute, will be presenting a groundbreaking research paper at the IEEE RO-MAN 2025 conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands, taking place August 25–29.

The IEEE RO-MAN conference is a leading forum where state-of-the-art innovative results and the latest developments, as well as future perspectives relating to Human-Robot Interaction are presented and discussed. The conference covers a broad spectrum of topics related to Human-Robot Interaction, including theories, methods, technologies and empirical and experimental studies.

The theme of this year’s IEEE RO-MAN conference is “Shaping our hybrid future with robots together.” For people with vision impairment, the ability to navigate the world independently is not just a matter of convenience but of dignity, confidence, and freedom. In line with this theme, the UTARI paper supported by the National Science Foundation, “Field Testing an Assistive Robot Teleoperation System for People who are Legally Blind,” by Vishwaak C. Thamaraiselvan, Param D. Salunkhe, Michail Theofanidis and Nicholas R. Gans, presents the preliminary study on enabling individuals who are legally blind to safely operate mobile robots and vehicles. Designed with accessibility at its core, the teleoperation system incorporates features that enhance usability and situational awareness, including assistive control based on artificial potential fields to prevent collisions and ensure smooth navigation.

For more information about IEEE RO-MAN 2025, visit www.ro-man2025.org