Kathryn J. De Laurentis

About

Kathryn J. De Laurentis is a pioneering researcher whose work sits at the dynamic intersection of robotics, assistive technology, and advanced manufacturing. Best known for her groundbreaking contributions to prosthetic and robotic hand design, De Laurentis has devoted much of her career to developing innovative solutions for individuals with physical disabilities. Her 2002 paper on Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuated prosthetic hands — garnering 130 citations — introduced a biomimetic, twenty-degree-of-freedom dexterous hand driven by artificial muscles, fundamentally advancing the field of prosthetics. She further refined this work through optimized SMA wire bundle actuator designs, pushing the boundaries of lightweight, high-performance actuation systems. De Laurentis also made significant strides in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, demonstrating that P300 EEG signals could effectively control a nine-degree-of-freedom wheelchair-mounted robotic arm, offering transformative independence to mobility-impaired users (95 citations). Her parallel expertise in rapid prototyping enabled the fabrication of non-assembly robotic systems with embedded components, streamlining the path from design to functional prototype. Affiliated with the University of South Florida's Center for Assistive, Rehabilitation & Robotics Technologies, her interdisciplinary collaborations — even bridging engineering with dance — reflect a career defined by creative problem-solving in service of human well-being.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Mechanical design of a shape memory alloy actuated prosthetic hand.

   130 citations · 2002
2. 2
   Control of a 9-DoF Wheelchair-mounted robotic arm system using a P300 Brain Computer Interface: Initial experiments

   95 citations · 2009
3. 3
   Optimal design of shape memory alloy wire bundle actuators

   41 citations · 2003
4. 4
   Procedure for Rapid Fabrication of Non-Assembly Mechanisms With Embedded Components

   39 citations · 2002
5. 5
   Rapid fabrication of a non‐assembly robotic hand with embedded components

   37 citations · 2004
6. 6
   Rapid Robot Reproduction

   12 citations · 2004
7. 7
   Implementation of a P-300 Brain Computer Interface for the Control of a Wheelchair Mounted Robotic Arm System

   8 citations · 2008
8. 8
   Design and implementation of visual-haptic assistive control system for virtual rehabilitation exercise and teleoperation manipulation

   6 citations · 2008
9. 9
   DANCE AND ENGINEERING LINK TO PRODUCE A NOVEL MOBILITY DEVICE

   3 citations · 2011
10. 10
    Fabrication of Nonassembly Robotic Systems with Embedded Components Using a Rapid Prototyping System

    3 citations · 2004

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links