Eric Wolbrecht

Dr. Eric Wolbrecht is Professor and Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Idaho, holding the Dean and Cindy Haagenson Endowed Professorship. He earned his PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from UC Irvine (2007), MS from Oregon State University (1998), and BS from Valparaiso University (1996).

His research in rehabilitation robotics includes:

• Exoskeleton systems for neurorehabilitation
• Adaptive control algorithms
• Stroke recovery mechanisms
• Autonomous vehicle navigation

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on developing robotic rehabilitation devices like the FINGER robot for hand therapy and BLUE SABINO exoskeleton for comprehensive neuromuscular assessment. Recent work (2023-2025) emphasizes exoskeleton mechanism optimization, neural correlates of motor learning, and multidimensional analysis of rehabilitation outcomes.

Honors include the Presidential Mid-Career Award (2015) and IEEE TNSRE Best Paper Award (2011). He leads multiple NIH, NSF, and ONR-funded projects including FINGER 2.0 development and BLUE SABINO exoskeleton creation.