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Prof. Dr. Kenneth James Hunt

Profile

Prof. Dr. Kenneth James Hunt Dozent

Contact

Links

  • Address Berner Fachhochschule
    School of Engineering and Computer Science
    Lehre
    Quellgasse 21
    2501 Biel

Activities

  • Professor for Rehabilitation Engineering, Mechatronics and Control Engineering

  • Head, rehaLab - The Laboratory for Rehabilitation Engineering

Teaching

  • BSc Mechatronics and Systems Engineering (BSc MSEng)

  • MSc Biomedical Engineering (M-BME)

  • MSc Engineering (MSE)

  • Mechatronics, Drive Technology (BSc MSEng)

  • Rehabilitation Technology (M-BME)

  • Rehabilitation Robotics (MSE)

Research

  • Rehabilitation Engineering

  • Control Theory

  • Physiological Control Systems

CV

  • Current: Professor for Rehabilitation Engineering and Head of the rehaLab -- the Laboratory for Rehabilitation Engineering -- at Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland (since 2009); currently located in Biel/Bienne (since 2022), previously in Burgdorf; and Research Associate at clinic Reha Rheinfelden.
  • Previously: Wylie Chair and Full Professorship of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering, University of Glasgow (1998-2009); and Director of Research and co-founder of the Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Glasgow.
  • Kenneth Hunt is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Head of the rehaLab - the Laboratory for Rehabilitation Engineering - at Bern University of Applied Sciences in Biel, Switzerland. His research focuses on physiological responses - including heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiopulmonary outcomes - to exercise in healthy individuals and in people with motor impairments after spinal cord injury (SCI) or stroke.

    He works closely with major neurorehabilitation clinics including the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil, for research involving patients with SCI, and Reha Rheinfelden, for research with patients after stroke.

    Prior to relocating to Switzerland in 2009, Hunt was a Professor of Engineering at the University of Glasgow in his home country, Scotland, where he was appointed in 1998. At Glasgow, he was Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Founding Director of Research at the Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury.

Projects

  • Heart Rate Variability, Dynamics and Control During Exercise (Swiss National Science Foundation)

Publications

  • A list of publications can be found in the ORCID link.

  • Recent Publications:
    [1] H. Wang, D. Guimaraes, T. Nef, and K. J. Hunt, “Self-paced heart rate control during treadmill
    exercise for persons with gait impairment: a case study,” Frontiers in Control Engineering,
    vol. 5:1343851, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcteg.2024.1343851.
    [2] L. Brockmann and K. J. Hunt, “Heart rate variability changes with respect to time and exercise
    intensity during heart-rate-controlled steady-state treadmill running,” Scientific Reports,
    vol. 13:8515, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35717-0.
    [3] H. Wang and K. J. Hunt, “Self-paced heart rate control for treadmill exercise,” Frontiers in
    Control Engineering, vol. 4:1158164, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcteg.2023.1158164.
    [4] A. Ruangsuphaphichat, L. Brockmann, P. Sirasaporn, N. Manimmanakorn, K. J. Hunt,
    and J. Saengsuwan, “Test-retest reliability of short- and long-term heart rate variability
    in individuals with spinal cord injury,” Spinal Cord, vol. 61, pp. 658–666, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-023-00935-w.
    [5] H. Wang and K. J. Hunt, “Feedback control of heart rate during treadmill exercise
    based on a two-phase response model,” PLoS ONE, vol. 18(10): e0292310, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292310.
    [6] S. Srirubkhwa, L. Brockmann, R. Vichiansiri, K. J. Hunt, and J. Saengsuwan, “Reliability of
    five-minute vs. one-hour heart rate variability metrics in individuals with spinal cord injury,”
    PeerJ, vol. 11:e16564, 2023. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16564.
    [7] A. H. Spörri, H. Wang, and K. J. Hunt, “Heart rate dynamics identification and control in cycle
    ergometer exercise: comparison of first- and second-order performance,” Frontiers in Control
    Engineering, vol. 3:894180, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcteg.2022.894180.
    [8] L. Brockmann, H. Wang, and K. J. Hunt, “Time dependence of heart rate variability during
    treadmill running,” Systems Science & Control Engineering, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 436–442, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/21642583.2022.2068166.
    [9] F. Chrif, H. J. A. van Hedel, M. Vivian, T. Nef, and K. J. Hunt, “Usability evaluation of an
    interactive leg press training robot for children with neuromuscular impairments,” Technology
    and Health Care, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 1183–1197, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3233/THC-213629.
    [10] J. Fang and K. J. Hunt, “Mechanical design and control system development of a rehabilitation
    robotic system for walking with arm swing,” Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, vol. 2,
    no. 720182, pp. 1–14, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2021.720182.
    [11] H. Wang and K. J. Hunt, “Heart rate control using first- and second-order models during
    treadmill exercise,” Systems Science & Control Engineering, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 651–662, 2021.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/21642583.2021.1976304.
    [12] J. Fang, A. Schuwey, N. Stocker, B. Pedrini, A. Sampaio, and K. J. Hunt, “Preliminary
    development and technical evaluation of a belt-actuated robotic rehabilitation platform,”
    Technology and Health Care, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 595–607, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3233/THC-
    202392.
    [13] H. Wang and K. J. Hunt, “Identification of heart rate dynamics during treadmill exercise:
    comparison of first- and second-order models,” BioMedical Engineering OnLine, vol. 20:37,
    pp. 1–10, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12938-021-00875-7.
    [14] J. Fang, M. Haldimann, L. Marchal-Crespo, and K. J. Hunt, “Development of an active cabledriven,
    force-controlled robotic system for walking rehabilitation,” Frontiers in Neurorobotics,
    vol. 15, no. 651177, pp. 1–16, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2021.651177.
    [15] F. Chrif, T. Nef, and K. J. Hunt, “Technical feasibility of constant-load and high-intensity
    interval training for cardiopulmonary conditioning using a re-engineered dynamic leg press,”
    BMC Biomed. Eng., vol. 1:26, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42490-019-0025-9.
    [16] K. J. Hunt and C. Hurni, “Robust control of heart rate for cycle ergometer exercise,” Med. Biol.
    Eng. Comput., vol. 57, no. 11, pp. 2471–2482, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-019-02034-6.
    [17] K. J. Hunt, R. Grunder, and A. Zahnd, “Identification and comparison of heart-rate dynamics
    during cycle ergometer and treadmill exercise,” PloS ONE, vol. 14(8): e0220826, 2019.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220826.
    [18] E. A. Aksöz, M. Laubacher, R. Riener, and K. J. Hunt, “Design of an isokinetic knee
    dynamometer for evaluation of functional electrical stimulation strategies,” Med. Eng. Phys.,
    vol. 73, pp. 100–106, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2019.07.010.
    [19] K. J. Hunt, A. Zahnd, and R. Grunder, “A unified heart rate control approach for
    cycle ergometer and treadmill exercise,” Biomed. Signal Process. Control, vol. 54, 2019.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bspc.2019.101601.

Memberships

  • FRSE - Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

  • FIET - Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology

  • MIEEE - Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Language skills and intercultural knowledge

  • English - Native or bilingual proficiency
  • German - Full professional proficiency
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom