Brokoslaw Laschowski
Post-doctoral Fellow
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and Univeristy of Toronto
Email: brock.laschowski@
mail.utoronto.ca
Research Interest
- Rehabilitation Robotics
- Assistive Technology
- Exoskeletons and Prosthetics
- Wearable Robotics
- Computer Vision and Deep Learning
- Neural Engineering
Biography
Dr. Brokoslaw Laschowski is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, where he works in the Intelligent Assistive Technology and Systems Laboratory. He also holds an affiliation with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Rehabilitation Lab at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. As a research scientist, he specializes in the design and control of wearable robotic systems and technologies using a "biomechatronic" systems engineering approach. Applications of his research include rehabilitation robotics, neural engineering, human-computer interaction, and wearable assistive devices (e.g., robotic prosthetic legs and exoskeletons). His clinical research focuses on assisting individuals with mobility impairments due to aging and/or physical disabilities such as stroke, cerebral palsy, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, amputation, and spinal cord injury. His research also includes the design and integration of wearable sensory feedback systems (e.g., smart glasses and haptics) for persons with visual impairments. Overall, he develops technologies that interface with humans in order to improve health and performance.
Dr. Laschowski received his PhD from the Department of Systems Design Engineering, with a specialization in biomedical engineering, at the University of Waterloo and the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute. His PhD research focused on 1) mathematical modelling and computer simulation of human-exoskeleton systems with energy-efficient actuators, and 2) computer vision and deep learning for autonomous exoskeleton control and decision making during legged locomotion. He received his MASc from the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering also at the University of Waterloo, where his research focused on predictive simulation of human movements using optimal control theory.
Dr. Laschowski has published in many leading scientific journals and conferences, including the IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, the Frontiers in Neurorobotics, and the IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics. He previously served on the executive committee of the Canadian Society for Biomechanics and worked at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and as a biomechanics lecturer at Humber College. To date, he has earned over $254,000 in scholarships and awards (e.g., the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and co-authored grant proposals that received over $197,000 in research and infrastructure funding (e.g., the Canada Foundation for Innovation). He has presented at many national and international conferences and was a Best Paper Award finalist at the 2019 IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics. His award-winning research has been featured on mainstream media networks like BBC World News, CBC radio, Forbes, and Maclean’s magazine.
