Kent Wilken
Papers
2
Total Citations
6
H-Index
2
About
Kent Wilken’s research lies at the intersection of agricultural robotics, human factors engineering, and occupational health, with a focused commitment to improving the safety and efficiency of specialty crop harvesting. His work addresses the critical problem of low back disorder (LBD) among manual harvesters, who endure sustained trunk flexion during strawberry picking. In his highly cited 2014 study, “Sensor-based Stooped Work Monitoring in Robot-aided Strawberry Harvesting,” Wilken pioneered a sensor-driven approach to quantify and mitigate ergonomic risks, laying the groundwork for safer human-robot collaboration in the field. Complementing this, his work on “Vibration-reducing Path Tracking Control for a Strawberry Transport Robot” introduced advanced control algorithms that minimize chassis vibration and maintain precise furrow navigation, directly enhancing fruit quality and robot reliability. Though his citation counts (3 each) reflect a niche but impactful contribution, Wilken’s integrated perspective—merging biomechanics, control theory, and field robotics—has informed subsequent designs for autonomous harvesting systems. His achievements stand as a model for developing assistive technologies that protect worker health while advancing agricultural automation.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2