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About

Sunwook Kim is a leading researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, wearable robotics, and biomechanics, with a focus on how humans physically and cognitively adapt to exoskeletons. His most cited work, “Human Gait During Level Walking With an Occupational Whole-Body Powered Exoskeleton: Not Yet a Walk in the Park” (2021, 22 citations), critically examines the gap between exoskeleton technology and natural human movement, revealing that even advanced powered suits disrupt gait patterns—a key insight for the safe deployment of “super-operator” systems in Industry 4.0. Kim’s research extends into teleoperator-robot-human collaboration (tRHC), as highlighted in his 2024 paper (10 citations), which explores how remote expertise can be combined with manual dexterity for maintenance tasks in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare, while also opening doors for workers with disabilities. His 2023 work on sensemaking and agency in human-exoskeleton synchrony (6 citations) delves into the cognitive dimensions of physical human-robot interaction, emphasizing that successful co-adaptation requires more than mechanical fit. Earlier in his career, Kim contributed to bio-inspired robotics, designing and analyzing legged walking robots based on the Jansen mechanism (2011, 6 citations). With a growing citation footprint and a focus on real-world industrial applications, Kim is shaping the future of safe, intuitive, and inclusive human-robot collaboration.