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Robert Radwin

Robert Radwin

Duane H. and Dorothy M. Bluemke Professor

Professor Radwin’s research focuses on the physiological and biomechanical aspects of work. He investigates how to better design jobs, equipment, tools, products, and environments in which people play a significant role, so that human capabilities are maximized, physical stress and fatigue are minimized, and work is optimized. He has numerous grants and contracts from government agencies, companies and private foundations and he is frequently a consultant to industry and government for ergonomics in manufacturing and product design. Professor Radwin is founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He is a Discovery Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery.

  • BS , New York University, Polytechnic Institute
  • MS , University of Michigan
  • MSE , University of Michigan
  • PhD , University of Michigan

  • Occupational ergonomics and biomechanics
  • Ergonomics design of manually operated products, hand tools and equipment
  • Measurements and methods for assessing exposure to physical stress in the workplace
  • Causes and prevention of work related musculoskeletal injuries
  • Quantifying functional deficits associated with musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders
  • Rehabilitation engineering
  • Ergonomics of medical instruments, procedures and simulations

Affiliated Departments

  • 2025 Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers , Fellow Award
  • 2023 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, A. R. Lauer Safety Award
  • 2022 Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Boeing Excellence Award
  • 2021 International Ergonomics Association , Fellowship Award
  • 2018 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Duane H. and Dorothy M. Bluemke Professorship
  • 2017 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Jack A. Kraft Innovator Award
  • 2014 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ragnar E. Onstad Service to Society Award
  • 2009 American Industrial Hygiene Association, Fellow
  • 2005 Biomedical Engineering Society, Fellow
  • 2004 University of Michigan, Engineering Alumni Society Merit Award in Biomedical Engineering
  • 2000 Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, Great Britain, Fellow
  • 1999 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Fellow
  • 1997 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Fellow
  • 1994 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers , Senior Member
  • 1991 National Science Foundation, Presidential Young Investigator Award
  • 1991 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Special Emphasis Research Career Award
  • 1990 Whitaker Foundation, Investigator Grantee
  • 1983 Ford Motor Company, Fellowship
  • 1982 National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, Traineeship
  • 1982 Alpha Pi Mu, Industrial Engineering Honor Society , Member
  • 1974 Eta Kappa Nu, Electrical Engineering Honor Society, Member

  • Hagenow, M., Senft, E., Radwin, R., Gleicher, M., Zinn, M., & Mutlu, B. (2024). A System for Human-Robot Teaming through End-User Programming and Shared Autonomy. arXiv preprint arXiv:2401.12380.
  • Liu, L., Schoen, A. J., Henrichs, C., Li, J., Mutlu, B., Zhang, Y., & Radwin, R. (2024). Human robot collaboration for enhancing work activities. Human Factors, 66(1), 158-179.
  • Ramesh, B., Konstant, A., Praveena, P., Senft, E., Gleicher, M., Mutlu, B., Zinn, M., & Radwin, R. (2024). Manually Acquiring Targets From Multiple Viewpoints Using Video Feedback. Human Factors, 66(2), 470-489.
  • Hagenow, M., Senft, E., Orr, N., Radwin, R., Gleicher, M., Mutlu, B., Losey, D. P., & Zinn, M. (2023). Coordinated Multi-Robot Shared Autonomy Based on Scheduling and Demonstrations. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8(12), 8335-8342 https://doi.org/10.1109/lra.2023.3327625
  • Doshi, M. V., Hagenow, M., Radwin, R., Gleicher, M., Mutlu, B., & Zinn, M. (2023). Handheld Haptic Device with Coupled Bidirectional Input. In 2023 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC) (p. 453-459). IEEE https://doi.org/10.1109/whc56415.2023.10224398
  • Konstant, A., Orr, N., Hagenow, M., Senft, E., Gundrum, I., Mutlu, B., Zinn, M., Gleicher, M., & Radwin, R. (2023). Human-Robot Collaboration in a Sanding Task. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (p. 845-846).
  • Huang, C., Zhou, S., Li, J., & Radwin, R. (2023). Allocating Robots/Cobots to Production Systems for Productivity and Ergonomics Optimization. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering.
  • Radwin, R., Hu, Y. H., Akkas, O., Bao, S., Harris-Adamson, C., Lin, J., Meyers, A. R., & Rempel, D. (2023). Comparison of the observer, single-frame video and computer vision hand activity levels. Ergonomics, 66(8), 1132-1141.
  • Vipul Doshi, M., Hagenow, M., Radwin, R., Gleicher, M., Mutlu, B., & Zinn, M. (2023). Handheld Haptic Device with Coupled Bidirectional Input. arXiv e-prints, arXiv-2305.
  • Hagenow, M., Senft, E., Laske, E., Hambuchen, K., Fong, T., Radwin, R., Gleicher, M., Mutlu, B., & Zinn, M. (2022). Registering Articulated Objects With Human-in-the-loop Corrections. In 2022 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (p. 2343-2350). IEEE https://doi.org/10.1109/iros47612.2022.9981949

  • BME 389 - Honors in Research (Fall 2025)
  • BME 399 - Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • BME 790 - Master's Research and Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • BME 799 - Advanced Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • BME 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Fall 2025)
  • BME 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • ISYE 350 - Industrial Engineering Design I (Fall 2025)
  • ISYE 699 - Advanced Independent Study (Fall 2025)
  • ISYE 790 - Master's Research and Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • ISYE 859 - Special Topics in Human Factors Engineering (Fall 2025)
  • ISYE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2025)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2025)
  • PSYCH 859 - Special Topics in Human Factors Engineering (Fall 2025)
  • BME 790 - Master's Research and Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • BME 799 - Advanced Independent Study (Summer 2025)
  • BME 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Summer 2025)
  • BME 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • ISYE 699 - Advanced Independent Study (Summer 2025)
  • ISYE 790 - Master's Research and Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • ISYE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2025)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2025)
  • BME 564 - Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (Spring 2025)
  • ISYE 564 - Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (Spring 2025)
  • ISYE 699 - Advanced Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • ISYE 859 - Special Topics in Human Factors Engineering (Spring 2025)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • PSYCH 859 - Special Topics in Human Factors Engineering (Spring 2025)
  • ISYE 699 - Advanced Independent Study (Fall 2024)
  • ISYE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2024)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • ISYE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2024)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • BME 564 - Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (Spring 2024)
  • ISYE 350 - Industrial Engineering Design I (Spring 2024)
  • ISYE 564 - Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (Spring 2024)
  • ISYE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2024)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • ISYE 350 - Industrial Engineering Design I (Fall 2023)
  • ISYE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2023)
  • ISYE 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2023)