I obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Robotics) from Washington State University (WSU) advised
by Prof. John P. Swensen. I am currently a Clare Boothe Luce assistant professor of robotics at
Saint Louis University. My research at SLU involves developing robots for assistance, rehabilitation, agriculture, and education.
Current Research
Note: For more information on the current research, please check out my lab website: https://mecharithmlab.com/
My main research focus at SLU is on developing systems & robots for assistive, rehabilitation, agriculture, and education purposes,
and we mainly focus on
developing a safe and efficient human-robot interaction for assistive and rehabilitation robots, human intention detection, automating agricultural
procedures, and developing better ways to improve
robotics, mechatronics, and AI education. These involve research at the intersection of robotics, machine learning,
control theory, artificial intelligence, game development, psychology, physical therapy, agriculture, and education.
Interested in working in my lab? Contact me (through email) if:
You are an undergraduate or master's student enrolled at SLU, and you are looking for research experience in Robotics
You have applied to a Ph.D. program at SLU, and you would like to be advised by me
I also regularly advertise the available positions through my LinkedIn and lab website.
Here are some essential skills and qualities:
Being a team player, positive, creative, organized, and principle-centered person
A solid foundation in robotics (robot kinematics, dynamics, control, and perception)
Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python (preferred), C++, or MATLAB)
Familiarity with Robot Operating System (ROS)
Familiarity with machine learning techniques, computer vision, natural language processing, and AI algorithms
for developing intelligent and adaptive robotic systems
Experience with integrating various sensors
(e.g., cameras, depth sensors, force sensors) into robotic systems and processing sensor data
Knowledge of software development
principles, software architecture, and version control systems
Strong research background (showcased by publications), analytical thinking, and experiment design & data analysis skills
Photography & videography skills are a plus
Please include your CV, link to publications, your website, or GitHub page (if applicable).
Tips for successful emails from potential students:
Describe your research and projects in a coherent way and then lead your discussion to how they can be applied to the research in
my lab.
Back up your research and projects with descriptive photos and especially videos.
If you have publications from your research, highlight them.
Show that you are an up-and-coming independent researcher and a self-learner. This can be shown by
research internships, joining clubs that allow hands-on experience, etc.
My Ph.D. Research
My main research focus during Ph.D. was on developing fracture-directed steerable needles, which are a new type of
steerable needles that can be directed to a target location by making a fracture in the soft tissue and then following with
the superelastic needle with applications in surgery and biopsy. My Ph.D. research led to a patent titled
"Fracture-directed steerable needles" .
Research and Projects for my Master's in Mechatronics Engineering
Here are the main research and projects that I was part of during my Master's in Mechatronics Engineering years:
3-DOF Shoulder Rehabilitation Robot: design, modeling and control (Sliding Mode,
Lyapunov-based, Inverse Dynamics and Neural Network-based Asymptotic Tracking controller)
Hand Tremor Suppression Rehabilitation device : successfully eliminated the hand tremor of a Parkinson's disease sufferer
Designed and tested a motor driver to run the 6 DC motors of the 6-DOF Surgical Robot
Six-legged ant robot : studied the locomotion of the ants
Shrimp Rover robot : successfully completed a rescue task
Designed and built a Segway (Two-Wheeled) Robot
Teaching, Mentoring & Entrepreneurship
Here are some teaching and entrepreneurial experience:
Graduate TA & RA at Washington State University (WSU) (Mechatronics, System Dynamics, & M3 Robotics lab)
News, Media Coverage, Honors & Awards
[2023 - 2027] Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Robotics & Autonomous Systems, Henry Luce Foundation, $500k
[2023 - 2026] SLU's Research Institute, $200k
[2024 - Now] PI: FIRE Grant for Undergraduate Research (Hadi Akbarpour Co-PI, Flavio Esposito Co-PI), WheelArm Project, $3000 (Spring 2024), $3000 (Fall 2024), $3000 (Spring 2025), $1000 (Fall 2025)
[Aug 2024 - May 2026] Paid undergraduate research assistants through the SURGE program
[May 2024 - Apr 2025] Co-PI: AI for Medicine Seed Grant (Hadi Akbarpour PI, Jafar Kafaei Co-PI), Bio-inspired 3D Perception Algorithms on Neuromorphic Architectures, $3000
[2018, 2019] Travel Awards for several robotics conferences, including ISMR (2019), and BioROB (2018), $600 each
[Jan. 2018] Travel Grant for Society of Women in Engineering (SWE)’s Annual Conference (WE18), $500
[Sep 2013] 2nd Rank among all Mechatronics Engineering Graduate Students N = 42, School of Engineering Emerging Technologies, University of Tabriz, Iran
[Sep 2006] Top 0.2% of Math and Physics University Entrance Exam Contestants (300,000 total), NOET, Iran
Invited Talks and Presentations
[May 2025] Invited Speaker to SLU's AI in Medicine Conference, Using NLP and Robotics in Healthcare: Assisting Individuals with Limited Mobility
[May 2025] Invited Speaker to SLU's AI in Medicine Conference, Neuromorphic Systems for Predictive Fall Prevention in Parkinson's Disease
[Apr. 2025] Invited Speaker to Seattle Robotics Society's Robotics and Technology Meetings, Intuitive human-robot interaction for assistive robotics
[Apr. 2025] Seminar Invited Speaker to Washington State University 's Seminar Series, Intuitive human-robot interaction for assistive robotics
[Jan 2025] Invited Speaker for SLU's Seminar Series, Engineering the Future with Mechatronics and Algorithms
[Apr. 2019, Nov. 2020] Oral Presentation at International Symposium on Medical Robotics ISMR, Duty Cycling to Improve Steerability of Waterjet Steerable Needles & Predicting the Depth of Cut of the Waterjet in Soft Tissue
[Nov 2019] Invited Speaker for MME Seminar Series, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, Waterjet-assisted Needle Steering to be Used for Medical Applications
[Oct. 2015] Oral Presentation at 3rd RSI International Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (ICROM), Tehran, Iran, Sliding mode control of an exoskeleton robot for use in upper-limb rehabilitation
[Dec. 2013] Poster Presentation at 20th Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME), Tehran, Iran, Mechanical design, simulation and nonlinear control of a new exoskeleton robot for use in upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke
[Aug. 2013] Invited Speaker for a Seminar on Robot-aided Rehabilitation after stroke, University of Tabriz, Iran
Publications
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