Sainan Zhang
Dr. Sainan Zhang, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kennesaw State University. She specializes in wearable robotics, soft robotics, control, and human-robot interaction. Dr. Zhang earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the City University of New York – City College and previously conducted postdoctoral research at North Carolina State University.
She has made significant contributions to the development of AI-powered exosuits and pediatric knee exoskeletons, particularly in their application to community-based mobility assistance. She has published multiple peer-reviewed papers in top-tier journals and conferences, including Nature, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, and Mechatronics. Dr. Zhang is actively involved in mentoring students and serves as a reviewer for several prominent journals, including IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, and IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
Education
2024: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, City University of New York, City College
2023: M.S., Mechanical Engineering, City University of New York, City College
2018: M.S., University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China
Selected Media Coverage
NCSU News on continuous stiffness control for lightweight exoskeleton
NCSU News on actuator optimization and deep learning control for pediatric exoskeleton
Fox News Report on experiment-free exoskeleton assistance via learning in simulation
