{"id":68393,"date":"2025-05-20T08:09:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T12:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=68393"},"modified":"2025-06-09T07:52:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:52:31","slug":"utc-professor-earns-patent-for-new-tech-blending-rehab-and-robotics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/utc-professor-earns-patent-for-new-tech-blending-rehab-and-robotics\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC professor earns patent for new tech blending rehab and robotics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mechatronics

Mechatronics major Austin McDade, left, Dr. Max Jordon and Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu demonstrate the pneumatically powered balance board. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu moves like someone with three calendars and no off switch\u2014teaching, mentoring, inventing, and leading the Department of Engineering Management and Technology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.<\/p>\n

His relentless pace paid off this spring when he secured his first U.S. design patent for a pneumatically powered balance board designed to support patients with chronic lower back pain or those recovering from injury or surgery. It\u2019s one of many endeavors he\u2019s juggling alongside prototypes, proposals, partnerships and students.<\/p>\n

On any given day, Kaplanoglu might be debugging hardware in his lab, mentoring a capstone team, working at a recruitment event or collaborating with industry partners and campus colleagues. Often, it\u2019s all of the above. And somehow, he still makes time for Mocs basketball, the ba\u011flama (a Turkish guitar that he plays in his office) and almost anyone who asks for his help.<\/p>\n

Inventing for the real world<\/h4>\n

Kaplanoglu\u2019s patent<\/strong><\/a>, issued April 15, 2025, is one of only a handful that UTC has secured in recent years\u2014part of a broader shift toward research that not only gets published but also drives practical innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cErkan develops innovations that solve problems and help people,\u201d said Gregory Sechrist, a technology manager with the UT Research Foundation, which supports faculty across the UT System with technology transfer.<\/p>\n

Over the past five years, Kaplanoglu has submitted five invention disclosures through UTRF, a pace that speaks both to his personal drive and to UTC\u2019s expanding support for applied research.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a serial inventor,\u201d Sechrist said, \u201cand I\u2019m glad to see him get his first patent issued at UTC. I look forward to continuing to work with him on what\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Issued about two years after filing, the patent reflects Kaplanoglu\u2019s precision and the momentum that comes with UTRF\u2019s support. The foundation works closely with faculty to bring their research to market, offering guidance on intellectual property protection, commercialization strategy and industry access.<\/p>\n

With the balance board now available for licensing<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> UTRF remains a key partner in Kaplanoglu\u2019s next round of inventions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great example of how we empower researchers not just to protect their ideas, but to take them further,\u201d said Jennifer Skjellum, UTC\u2019s commercialization counselor. \u201cErkan is always thinking ahead about what\u2019s possible and how to make it happen. His work brings together students, faculty, clinicians and industry, and we\u2019ve built a pipeline to support that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Max Jordon (sitting), Austin McDade and Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu<\/p><\/div>\n

Finding balance in motion<\/h4>\n

Early support from UTC\u2019s MOCS Innovate! and Fly! Pitch competitions\u2014key programs in UTC\u2019s growing commercialization pipeline<\/strong><\/a>\u2014helped Kaplanoglu push his design forward. Additional backing came from the Biomedical Research Innovation Center (BRIC), a partnership between UTC, Erlanger and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine \u2013 Chattanooga. Dr. Jeremy Bruce, an orthopedic surgeon and BRIC collaborator, offered early clinical feedback\u2014one of many connections Kaplanoglu has forged across disciplines and institutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe built the first version, then fine-tuned it with feedback from physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons,\u201d Kaplanoglu said. \u201cThey helped us dial in the movement, data tracking and safety settings to make it truly usable.\u201d<\/p>\n

He credits those clinical collaborators and UTC\u2019s commercialization support team with moving the board from concept to clinic.<\/p>\n

Dr. Max Jordon, a physical therapy professor and longtime campus collaborator, is leading a UTC study to validate the board for clinical use. Though he didn\u2019t design it, Jordon has been testing it in his lab and comparing its performance with standard rehab devices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis collaboration opened a door for me and my students,\u201d Jordon said. \u201cWe\u2019ve used balance boards before, but this one\u2019s precision and translational focus move our work forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The board\u2019s pneumatic \u201cmuscles\u201d create small, controlled movements\u2014just enough to challenge balance. Built from off-the-shelf parts and powered by a standard compressor, it not only supports recovery but also uncovers balance issues that traditional tools miss.<\/p>\n

Engineering for humans<\/h4>\n

Kaplanoglu arrived at UTC in August 2019 and quickly transformed an underused space into what\u2019s now the Biomechatronics and Assistive Technology Lab<\/strong><\/a>, or BioAstLab. It focuses on eliminating barriers, whether physical, logistical or technological. Ongoing projects include a tremor-reducing wearable device, an exoskeleton for post-stroke rehabilitation and a smart diabetic foot insole. He\u2019s also developing new industrial applications for automation and precision control.<\/p>\n

Since launching the lab, Kaplanoglu has brought in $450,000 in research funding while building a team that spans engineering, design and physical therapy\u2014and includes both undergraduate and graduate students. Every student is paid. Every voice counts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gives you real responsibility,\u201d said Chase Guttu, a recent recipient of a Bachelor of Applied Science: Mechatronics degree who transferred into that program specifically to work in Kaplanoglu\u2019s lab. \u201cAnd he listens. He wants you to be proud of what you build.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kaplanoglu didn\u2019t set out to work in health care. But years ago, his father passed away from complications after a delayed surgical procedure. That loss stayed with him and eventually shaped his focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt changed how I thought about engineering,\u201d he said in a previous interview. \u201cI started thinking more about how tech could be used to help people live better, not just faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Ahad Nasab, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, brought the mechatronics program to UTC in 2018 and recruited Kaplanoglu in 2019 to build it out<\/strong><\/a>. A longtime colleague and early champion of his work, Nasab has seen Kaplanoglu turn strong technical instincts into a body of research that bridges theory and application.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember taking him to Cleveland State (Community College) right at the start of COVID,\u201d Nasab said. \u201cThey\u2019d just bought a half-million-dollar mechatronics trainer from Germany and it wasn\u2019t working. The company couldn\u2019t send anyone to fix it. While we were still talking, Erkan walked over, rewired a few things and got it running. The whole team was blown away.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of hands-on fluency is rare. He doesn\u2019t just design complex systems. He knows how to make them work.\u201d<\/p>\n

His next play<\/h4>\n

Kaplanoglu\u2019s vision doesn\u2019t stop with the balance board. He\u2019s mentoring early-career faculty, expanding industry partnerships and helping lay the groundwork for a future Ph.D. program in health care engineering at UTC.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also partnering with a local rehab clinic to collect more data, aiming to bring the board to market through licensing opportunities now under discussion.<\/p>\n

Much of his leadership style today traces back to his years coaching professional basketball in Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoaching taught me how to work with people with different personalities and make quick decisions,\u201d he said. \u201cThose same skills assist me in leading my research lab.\u201d<\/p>\n

He considers engineering and research team sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about being right,\u201d Kaplanoglu said. \u201cIt\u2019s about what you build together and how you can help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu and student Austin McDade<\/p><\/div>\n

Inside the invention: Active pneumatic balance platform<\/h4>\n

Design Patent:<\/em><\/strong> U.S. D1,009,261<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Patent Filed:<\/em><\/strong> February 2023 | Issued:<\/strong> April 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

Inventor:<\/em><\/strong> Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu, UTC professor and department Head, Engineering Management and Technology<\/em><\/p>\n

Research Home:<\/em><\/strong> Biomechatronics and Assistive Technology Lab (BioAstLab), UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science, UTC<\/em><\/p>\n

Primary Application: <\/em><\/strong>Physical therapy, athletic rehabilitation, postural diagnostics<\/em><\/p>\n

Commercialization Partner<\/em><\/strong>: UT Research Foundation (UTRF)<\/em><\/p>\n

Refined with input from therapists and clinicians, Kaplanoglu\u2019s active pneumatic balance platform uses soft robotics and real-time sensing to help patients rebuild balance and uncover postural issues traditional rehab tools may overlook. Compact and clinic-ready, it brings advanced motion training into everyday care.<\/p>\n

By recreating the subtle, unpredictable shifts people face in daily life\u2014like a bumpy car ride or walking across uneven ground\u2014the device lets clinicians observe and measure patient responses in real time.<\/p>\n

Designed for physical therapy and athletic-rehab settings, the platform closes gaps in assessment and retraining. It reflects the mission of UTC\u2019s Biomechatronics and Assistive Technology Lab (BioAstLab) to build accessible, human-centered technologies that integrate seamlessly into clinical practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe listened to what therapists needed and developed something flexible, accurate and ready for the clinic,\u201d Kaplanoglu said.<\/p>\n

How it works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The platform leverages three pneumatic actuators arranged in a Stewart-platform configuration to control motion in pitch, roll and yaw. Inspired by Stewart-platform architecture\u2014used in everything from flight simulators and fire-control systems to surgical robotics\u2014this design translates high-end mechanical precision into a compact, clinical-grade system.<\/p>\n

Kaplanoglu\u2019s patented balance board is now available for licensing through UTRF<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Key features<\/strong><\/p>\n