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About

Fabian Farelo is a robotics researcher whose work centers on assistive technology, rehabilitation engineering, and human-centered robotic systems. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to the development of wheelchair-mounted robotic arms (WMRAs) designed to restore independence for individuals with upper limb mobility impairments. His most influential work, "Design, simulation and testing of a new modular wheelchair mounted robotic arm to perform activities of daily living" (2009, 39 citations), introduced the WMRA-II — a lightweight, innovative manipulator constructed from carbon fiber and polycarbonate that significantly advanced the state of the art in assistive robotics. Building on this foundation, Farelo extended his research into sophisticated control strategies for a 9-degree-of-freedom WMRA system, developing optimized dual-trajectory tracking algorithms (2010, 20 citations), image-based visual servoing techniques (2012, 16 citations), and task-oriented mobile manipulation for complex real-world interactions such as opening spring-loaded doors (2011, 9 citations). Together, these contributions represent a coherent and progressive research agenda focused on making robotic assistance genuinely practical for daily life. With a combined citation count exceeding 80, Farelo's work has meaningfully shaped the field of assistive robotic manipulation and continues to inform ongoing efforts to empower individuals with physical disabilities.