Robotics · Soft actuation · Rehabilitation
Sergio Jácobo Zavaleta
I build robotic systems at the intersection of mechanical design, control, and healthcare.
My current work at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid focuses on tendon-based Shape Memory Alloy actuation and safe, repeatable ankle mobilization for early rehabilitation.
Robotics, motion & human recovery
Madrid · 2026
Mechatronics engineer M.Sc. candidate RENACYT researcher IEEE reviewer
Current research
A compact robotic platform for early ankle rehabilitation
I am developing a modular ankle rehabilitation system driven by an agonist-antagonist pair of Shape Memory Alloy actuators. The research combines mechanical prototyping, sensor-integrated control, state-based supervision, and long-duration experimental validation.
The intended context is controlled mobilization while a patient is seated or in bed. It is not a gait-assistance device. This distinction shapes the mechanical requirements, range of motion, safety logic, and experimental protocol.
Research questions
- How can compact SMA actuators reproduce antagonistic ankle motion?
- How can thermal state be supervised without direct temperature feedback?
- Which control and recovery rules support safe repetitive operation?
- How should a rehabilitation prototype be validated before clinical studies?
Selected outcome
Thermal-aware SMA control presented in Bilbao
The 2026 CEA symposium paper presents an indirect thermal-aware supervision strategy for antagonistic SMA ankle actuation. The work received a Best Paper Mention in Robotics at the symposium in Bilbao. The tracking metric below comes from the later master’s-thesis analysis; the published conference results are reported separately in the publication and talk records.
0.220° updated thesis RMSE
40 min continuous experiment
3 states EXT · FLEX · IDLE
2026 Best Paper Mention
Research trajectory
From clinical robotics to rehabilitation systems
Clinical robotics
Robot-assisted needle placement with 3D ultrasound established my foundation in medical-device requirements, imaging, and safety-oriented mechatronics.
Biomedical intelligence
Deep-learning work on EEG seizure identification developed my experience with physiological signals, experimental pipelines, and scientific reporting.
Soft actuation
My current line brings these perspectives together through compact SMA mechanisms, embedded supervision, and rehabilitation-oriented validation.
Two connected spaces
Research outside, archive inside
The professional section records projects, peer-reviewed publications, and talks. La Tercera Fundación is the Spanish-language counterpart: a personal archive for robotics notes, reproducible academic workflows, and writing that benefits from a less formal voice.
Find me
ORCID · Google Scholar · GitHub · LinkedIn