Title: Leveraging Robotic Exoskeletons to Improve Human Safety Outcomes in Dynamic and Unstructured Environments

Date: Friday, December 5th, 2025

Time: 11PM to 1PM ET

Location: GTMI Auditorium (Room 101) or Zoom Link

Carlos Carrasquillo

Robotics Ph.D. Student

Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee:

Dr. Anirban Mazumdar (advisor) – Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Aaron Young (co-advisor) – Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Gregory Sawicki – Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Jun Ueda – Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Sonia Chernova – School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract:

Workers in demanding occupational environments, such as construction, industrial plants, and large warehouses, face a heightened risk of personal injury. These risks arise from two primary sources: external hazards, such as contact with objects and equipment, and internal factors, including chronic joint loading and fatigue resulting from repetitive or strenuous manual tasks. Existing safety protocols, which often rely on passive measures, provide important but limited protection against the complexity and variability of these settings. To further improve worker safety and performance, there is a growing need for proactive approaches that extend beyond traditional protection and support the active augmentation of human capability. Wearable exoskeletons offer a promising means to meet this need, providing a direct interface between human intention and robotic assistance to enhance both safety and physical performance in industrial environments.

The overall goal of this research is to design, develop, and evaluate a framework of intelligent control strategies for active wearable exoskeletons to enhance occupational safety and performance. The proposed work is organized around three interconnected themes: improving spatial awareness and obstacle avoidance capabilities, decreasing joint loading in manual materials handling tasks, and reducing the energetic cost of movement. Together, these efforts aim to advance understanding of human–wearable interaction and contribute to the development of safer, more efficient, and more sustainable workplaces.