Dr. Inigo Sanz-Pena is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUNY The City College of New York. His research focuses on developing biomimetic wearable assistive robots and devices with embedded sensing capabilities to increase biofeedback monitoring capabilities and improve the quality of life. His approach is the implementation of metamaterials in the components of biomechatronic devices using additive manufacturing and computational design. As part of this effort, he is focusing on embedding stimuli sensing in the material and structural properties of wearable robots. Before joining CCNY, he held Postdoctoral Research appointments at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Imperial College London. He was also a research associate at the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, New York, and worked as a consultant, project, and product engineer in industry.

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Rehabilitation Robotics Lab.

Imperial College London, London, UK

Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Biomechanics Group

Universidad de La Rioja, Logrono, Spain / New York University, New York, USA

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering

• Wearable Assistive Robots
• Biomechanics
• Embedded Sensing
• Additive Manufacturing

Sanz-Pena, I.; Jeong, H.; Kim, M. Personalizing Wearable Ankle Robots using Modular Additive Manufacturing Design. RA-L IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. (2023).

Sanz-Pena, I.*; Hopkins, M.; Rubio Carrero, N; Hang, X. Embedded Sensing Metamaterials using Additive Manufacturing in TPU-Graphene Composites. IEEE Sensors Journal. *First and corresponding author. (2023).

Kohli N.; Konstantinos T.; Hall, T.; Sanz-Pena, I.; Gaboriau, D.C.A.; Van Arkel, R.J. Bioreactor analyses of tissue ingrowth, on growth and remodeling around porous implants: an alternative to live animal testing. Front. bioeng. biotechnol., 11, 211. (2023).

Sanz-Pena, I.; Blanco, J.; Kim, J.H. Biofeedback Computer Interface for Real-time Gait Monitoring using a Wearable Integrated Sensor System for Data Acquisition. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems. (2021).

Sanz-Pena, I.; Arachchi, S.; Curtis-Woodcock, N; Silva, P.; McGregor, A.H.; Newell, N. Obtaining patient torso geometry for the design of scoliosis braces. A study of the accuracy and repeatability of handheld 3D scanners. POI. (2022).

Sanz-Pena, I. and Zapata, G.; Verstraete M.; Meere P.A; Walker P.S. Relationship Between Ligament Forces and Contact Forces in Balancing at Total Knee Surgery. The Journal of Arthroplasty, 34, 1261-1266. (2019).

Zapata G. and Sanz-Pena I., Verstraete M.; Walker P.S. Effects of femoral component placement on the balancing of a total knee at surgery. Journal of Biomechanics, 86, 117-124. (2019).

Tobalina-Baldeon, D.; Sanz-Adán, F.; Martinez-Calvo, M.; Gómez, C.; Sanz-Pena, I.; Cavas, F. Feasibility Analysis of Bolted Joints with Composite Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastics. Polymers, 13, 1904. (2019).