Crystal Yarbrough
Papers
1
Total Citations
17
H-Index
1
About
Crystal Yarbrough is a rehabilitation engineer whose work focuses on expanding access to robotic therapy for stroke survivors with severe upper limb impairment. Her key research areas include human-robot interaction, assistive technology, and neurorehabilitation. Yarbrough’s most notable contribution is her feasibility study on tongue-controlled robotic rehabilitation, which demonstrated that individuals with severe motor deficits could independently operate a wrist-and-hand therapy robot using an intraoral tongue interface. This work, published in 2016 and garnering 17 citations, opened a new pathway for delivering goal-oriented therapy to patients who cannot use traditional joystick or button controls. By integrating assistive technology with rehabilitation robotics, Yarbrough addresses a critical gap in post-stroke care: enabling autonomous practice for those with the most profound impairments. Her research has implications for extending the benefits of high-dose, repetitive therapy beyond clinical settings, potentially reducing the long-term burden on caregivers and healthcare systems. Yarbrough’s innovative approach to human-machine interaction continues to influence the design of inclusive rehabilitation technologies.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1