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About

Manuel J. Betancur is a leading researcher at the intersection of rehabilitation robotics, haptic feedback, and virtual reality, with a focus on restoring mobility and improving quality of life for individuals with physical impairments. His major contributions span two critical domains: lower limb rehabilitation and minimally invasive robotic surgery. In rehabilitation, he developed the Nukawa lower limb rehabilitation robot and the Exogames virtual reality system, creating an engaging platform for landmine victims and ACL patients to perform therapy. His work on myoelectric control algorithms and human-robot interaction torque estimation methods has advanced robot-assisted therapy by enabling real-time, adaptive feedback without expensive sensors. In surgical robotics, Betancur pioneered force feedback algorithms for teleoperated systems, addressing the critical lack of haptic feedback in commercial laparoscopic tools—a challenge he first analyzed in his 2010 work on minimally invasive surgery. His most cited paper (12 citations) demonstrates the power of combining VR gaming with robotic exoskeletons to boost patient motivation and adherence. With over 50 total citations across his top works, Betancur’s research is shaping the future of accessible, intelligent rehabilitation and safer robotic surgery.