Schearer, Eric, PhD

Dr. Eric Schearer is a mechanical engineer and rehabilitation roboticist recognized for his expertise in machine learning-based control of functional electrical stimulation (FES) neuroprostheses and hybrid FES-robotic systems for restoring arm and hand function in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury.

He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and additional NSF Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering funding for his work developing caregiver-teachable neuroprostheses and cooperative FES-exoskeleton control strategies. He is also committed to inclusive research, having created and directed a six-year undergraduate research program that trained 16 students with physical disabilities.

More recently, Dr. Schearer has led the development of an AI-based robot-assisted feeding system that enables people with cervical SCI to direct a wheelchair-mounted robot to feed themselves using only voice commands, with the first deployment in a hospital setting completed in 2024. He is now applying AI foundation models to the challenge of restoring hand function in high tetraplegia.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

• Machine learning-based control of FES neuroprostheses for reaching and grasping in high cervical SCI
• Hybrid FES and robotic exoskeleton systems for upper extremity rehabilitation
• AI-based robot-assisted feeding for individuals with full-arm paralysis
• Multi-muscle FES force control and system identification
• Inclusive research and disability-partnered engineering design

MAJOR PROJECTS & FUNDING

• NSF CAREER Award-Funded Research, caregiver teaching of neuroprostheses for functional reaching; coordinating electrical stimulation of muscles for flexible control of reaching movements and creating an empathy training program for rehabilitation engineering students
• NSF Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering-Funded Research, collaborative research developing hybrid FES and robotic exoskeleton systems to restore arm and hand movements in SCI
• Ohio Department of Higher Education (Ohio Third Frontier)-Funded Research, launching a minimum viable product robotic caregiving system for people with cervical SCI (2026–2028)
• Robot-assisted feeding system, first hospital deployment feeding two individuals with C4 SCI; recognized with 2nd place in the best paper competition at the 2022 International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics
  

HONORS & RECOGNITION

• Golden Apple Teaching Award, Cleveland State University Alumni Association, 2016
• 2nd Place, Best Paper Competition, International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, 2022
• Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation, 2010
• NSF CAREER Award recipient