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KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 13, 2025

To further investigate how people move, recover, and live, 亚博官方网站鈥檚 Office of Research recently established the MOVE Center, focused on rehabilitation and assistive technologies like soft robotics and artificial intelligence.

Housed within the Office of Research, the center is led by Ayse Tekes, interim director and associate professor of mechanical engineering, who has been integral in shaping its early direction.

鈥淭his is not just about prosthetics or exoskeletons,鈥� Tekes said. 鈥淢obility impacts everyone 鈥� aging adults, patients with gait disorders, and even nurses and workers who carry heavy loads every day. MOVE, Mobility for Everyone, is about bringing together expertise across multiple disciplines to improve not just how people move, but how they live.鈥�

The MOVE Center鈥檚 research is organized into four primary focus areas: rehabilitation robotics and assistive devices, neural interface technology, mobility science and human performance, and digital health and data-driven diagnostics. These areas include work on prosthetics and orthotics, upper- and lower-limb exoskeletons, soft robotics, and rehabilitation robotics.

Researchers are also exploring brain-computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics, gait analysis and locomotion research, and biomechanics of movement disorders, among other topics. In the digital health space, projects include mobile health technology for rehabilitation, AI and machine learning for health monitoring, and remote patient monitoring.

The broad scope of interdisciplinary research projects sets the MOVE Center apart from many similar research centers, which tend to focus narrowly on one area.

鈥淎t the MOVE Center, we ask one bold question: What if mobility wasn鈥檛 a barrier for anyone鈥攔egardless of age, condition, or circumstance?鈥� Executive Vice President for Research Karin Scarpinato said. 鈥淲e are engineering solutions that restore and enhance movement not only for those with injuries or disabilities, but also for the millions who experience mobility loss through aging or age-related illnesses. Our mission is simple yet profound: to ensure everyone can move through life fully, freely, and with dignity.鈥�

Tekes adds that the most exciting part of leading MOVE is seeing collaborations flourish among faculty who previously worked in isolation.

鈥淓ngineers often stay in their labs, unaware of what others are doing. Through MOVE, I鈥檝e discovered colleagues in computer science, prosthetics, and gait analysis who are doing incredible work,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he center is helping faculty form the right teams to advance research, something that鈥檚 been difficult to do until now.鈥�

The MOVE Center has set strategic goals to expand faculty collaboration, increase proposal submissions, and create new opportunities for students. Plans include offering directed studies for undergraduates, providing training sessions for research assistants, hosting research symposiums for both undergraduate and graduate students, and developing internship opportunities for high school students. The center is also encouraging participation in prestigious undergraduate research competitions, building on recent success.

On Sept. 19, the MOVE will showcase its research at the MOVE Regional Research Symposium. The event will feature keynote speaker Associate Professor Elliot Rouse from the University of Michigan and a panel of leading experts in mobility science and assistive technology. The symposium will also include five-minute research pitches, poster and demo sessions, and lab tours.

In the long term, the MOVE looks to establish a core facility with advanced gait analysis labs, treadmills, and motion-capture systems, which would allow researchers to test technologies in realistic settings and strengthen partnerships with clinicians, hospitals, and industry leaders.

鈥淥ur goal is to make Kennesaw State one of the leading centers for mobility research in the region,鈥� Tekes said. 鈥淯ltimately, MOVE is about creating life-changing technologies that are accessible, comfortable, and designed with people, not just engineering, in mind.鈥�

鈥� Story by Raynard Churchwell

Photos by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 亚博官方网站 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.