Dr. Sharifi was awarded the prestigious federal grant from National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering (DARE) program for enhancing the autonomy of lower-limb exoskeletons to assist humans in locomotion and other activities.

With this award, Dr. Sharifi is using the funds to support graduate research students to conduct projects of multidisciplinary research at different stages, including theoretical, experimental, and user studies. In this project, intelligent control strategies will be designed and implemented to facilitate a balance between exoskeleton autonomy and human safety. (link)

Dr. Sharifi received the RSCA seed grant from the SJSU Office of Research on the Development and Intelligent Control of an Assistive Robotic Walker.

This project aims to develop smart robotic walkers with advanced autonomy, including motorized wheels and motion sensors, to assist individuals with disabilities, ranging from children to seniors. These walkers offer a personalized and autonomous approach to mobility, using artificial intelligence to adapt to users' movements and interaction forces and generate customized walking patterns. By involving the community and considering end-users' perspectives, this assistive device will enhance mobility, improve postural stability, and increase users' connection to their local communities and public transit.