Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Max K. Shepherd is a leading researcher in biomechatronics, focusing on the design and evaluation of lower-limb prostheses and exoskeletons. His work centers on integrating user preference into engineering—a paradigm shift that prioritizes the wearer’s comfort and perception alongside traditional biomechanical metrics. Shepherd’s most-cited paper (77 citations) demonstrated how amputees perceive prosthetic ankle stiffness during locomotion, revealing that stiffness critically affects stability and energy cost. He further advanced this line of inquiry by showing that patient-preferred alignment for ankle-foot prostheses can improve walking on ramps and level ground (26 citations). In exoskeleton research, Shepherd conducted a feasibility study on reducing knee hyperextension in children with genu recurvatum (13 citations), and he has pioneered methods for estimating biological joint moments during real-world tasks using EMG and instrumented insoles (10 citations). His 2023 work on leveraging user preference in exoskeleton and prosthesis design (30 citations) synthesizes these contributions, arguing that preference-based tuning can enhance clinical outcomes. By centering the human experience in device development, Shepherd is shaping a more personalized, effective future for assistive technology.