John M. Hollerbach

John M. Hollerbach is a Professor in the Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah and an Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Engineering. He directs the University of Utah Robotics Center and the Robotics Track within the School of Computing. His research focuses on robotics, haptics, human motor control, and virtual environments. He has held academic positions at MIT and McGill University, and his work spans over four decades with significant contributions to robotics, rehabilitation engineering, and human-computer interaction.

Education:

• Ph.D., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT (1978)
• S.M., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT (1975)
• M.S., Mathematics, University of Michigan (1975)
• B.S., Chemistry, University of Michigan (1968)

Research Interests: Robotics, haptic interfaces, locomotion systems, human motor control, virtual prototyping, and biomechanical modeling. His projects include the Treadport locomotion interface, fingernail force sensing, and atmospheric display systems for immersive environments.

Key Awards:

• George R. Saridis Leadership Award (2020)
• IEEE Fellow (1996)
• NSF Presidential Young Investigator (1984)

Grants & Leadership: Directed NSF-funded projects on robotic rehabilitation and haptic terrain display. Served as Editor of the International Journal of Robotics Research and chaired major conferences like the World Haptics Conference (2009).

Labs & Teams: Leads the Robotics Center at the University of Utah, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science.