Papers
118
Total Citations
1,943
H-Index
23
About
Cristina P. Santos is a distinguished Portuguese robotics and biomedical engineering researcher whose work bridges human movement science, assistive technologies, and biologically inspired robotics. Her research spans rehabilitation robotics, gait analysis, human-robot interaction, and neural control of locomotion, with a particular emphasis on leveraging insights from neuroscience to advance robotic systems and assistive devices. Santos has made landmark contributions to the field of smart assistive mobility, most notably through her highly cited 2011 review of Smart Walkers (254 citations), which became a foundational reference for researchers developing next-generation mobility aids. Her pioneering work on Central Pattern Generator (CPG)-based controllers has significantly advanced biped and quadruped robot locomotion, demonstrating how brainstem-inspired modulation can produce fluid, adaptive gait transitions. Her studies on robotic guidance and locomotion coordination have deepened understanding of motor learning and rehabilitation. Beyond robotics, Santos has tackled pressing societal challenges: developing ergonomic smart wearables to prevent workplace musculoskeletal disorders, creating robots to promote social interaction in autistic adolescents, and producing a widely adopted open biomechanical dataset for gait research. Her body of work, accumulating nearly 850 citations across diverse domains, reflects a career defined by translating fundamental science into meaningful real-world impact.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Assistive mobility devices focusing on Smart Walkers: Classification and review254 citations · 2011
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- 3Effects of robotic guidance on the coordination of locomotion80 citations · 2013
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- 6Smart Vest for Real-Time Postural Biofeedback and Ergonomic Risk Assessment65 citations · 2020
- 7Promoting interaction amongst autistic adolescents using robots59 citations · 2010
- 8CPG modulation for navigation and omnidirectional quadruped locomotion48 citations · 2012
- 9Biped Locomotion Control through a Biomimetic CPG-based Controller47 citations · 2016
- 10Facial Expressions and Gestures to Convey Emotions with a Humanoid Robot43 citations · 2013