Vibha Agarwal

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About

Vibha Agarwal’s research lies at the intersection of biomechanics and rehabilitation robotics, with a focus on understanding and restoring human locomotion. Her major contributions center on how robotic exoskeletons can actively modulate gait patterns by altering joint stiffness—a novel approach that goes beyond simply reducing metabolic effort. In her most-cited work, “Modulating hip stiffness with a robotic exoskeleton immediately changes gait” (2020, 14 citations), she demonstrated that applying mechanical impedance to the hip joint using the Samsung GEMS-H exoskeleton can instantly reshape spatiotemporal gait parameters, offering a promising tool for rehabilitating impaired walking. Her follow-up study (2020, 5 citations) extended these findings to overground walking, showing that such modulation is effective in real-world conditions. This work is notable for shifting the paradigm from passive assistance to active, tunable gait correction. With a growing citation record, Agarwal’s research is establishing foundational principles for next-generation exoskeletons that could personalize rehabilitation for individuals with stroke, spinal cord injury, or age-related gait disorders.