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About

Werner Popp is a researcher at the forefront of rehabilitation robotics and human sensorimotor control, with a particular focus on the wrist and hand. His work bridges engineering and neuroscience to develop quantitative, robotic tools for assessing proprioception—the body’s ability to sense position and movement. Popp’s most impactful contribution is the "Reliable and Rapid Robotic Assessment of Wrist Proprioception Using a Gauge Position Matching Paradigm" (41 citations), which established a new standard for evaluating position sense in clinical and research settings. He also pioneered the ETHZ Haptic Paddle (33 citations), a low-cost force-feedback device used to teach physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) to students worldwide. His research extends to understanding how handle design affects movement dynamics and muscle co-activation, and he has explored adaptive robotic assessments for joint angle thresholds. More recently, Popp has applied soft robotics to cardiovascular rehabilitation, developing personalized interval exercise protocols for coronary artery disease patients. His work on age-dependent asymmetry of wrist position sense and stochastic tactile stimulation further demonstrates his commitment to improving diagnosis and treatment for somatosensory deficits. With a growing citation record and a focus on translational impact, Popp is shaping the future of robotic-assisted rehabilitation and sensorimotor assessment.