Haedo Cho

I'm a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering in the Slade Lab at Harvard SEAS, and a recipient of the Dean's Competitive Fund for Promising Scholarship. I am broadly interested in wearable robotics, biomechanics, and artificial intelligence.

My research focuses on understanding human movement through various wearable sensors and biomechanical simulations, and on improving mobility with assistive technologies such as exoskeletons. I am particularly interested in translational research that makes a real-world impact beyond the laboratory.

CV  /  Google Scholar

profile photo

Some recent updates

  • Feb 2026 OpenMetabolics paper was featured in Harvard SEAS media!
  • Jan 2026 Our supernumerary robot project using EMG-driven human-in-the-loop optimization was featured in the Delsys client spotlight!
  • Jan 2026 Our paper "OpenMetabolics: Estimating energy expenditure using a smartphone worn in a pocket" was accepted at Nature Communications Engineering!

Research

Work during my Ph.D in Harvard University

Paper thumbnail A simulation-informed framework that generalizes and personalizes robotic assistance

Haedo Cho, Zoe Kutulakos, Filippo Andrea Mariani, Matteo Amigoni, Nathan Irniger, Xabier Irizar Amuchastegui, Camille Guillaume, and Patrick Slade.
Submitted, 2026.
Paper thumbnail Evaluation of Smartwatch Use Case on Energy Expenditure Measurements During Outdoor Activities: Instrument Validation Study

Haedo Cho*, Chelsey Campillo Rodriguez*, and Patrick Slade.
Under Review at Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2026.
*These authors contributed equally.
Paper thumbnail OpenMetabolics: Estimating energy expenditure using a smartphone worn in a pocket

Haedo Cho and Patrick Slade.
Nature Communications Engineering, 2026, pdf, media coverage
Learning-based 3D human kinematics estimation Learning-based 3D human kinematics estimation using behavioral constraints from activity classification

Daekyum Kim, Yichu Jin*, Haedo Cho*, Truman Jones, Yu Meng Zhou, Ameneh Fadaie, Dmitry Popov, Krithika Swaminathan, Conor J. Walsh.
Nature Communications, 2025, pdf, demo video, media coverage (korean)
*These authors contributed equally.
A portable inflatable soft wearable robot A portable inflatable soft wearable robot to assist the shoulder during industrial work

Zhou, Y.M., Hohimer, C.J., Young, H.T., McCann, C.M., Pont-Esteban, D., Civici, U.S., Jin, Y., Murphy, P., Wagner, D., Cole, T., Phipps, N., Haedo Cho, et al.
Science Robotics, 2024, pdf
Soft sensing shirt for shoulder kinematics estimation Soft sensing shirt for shoulder kinematics estimation

Yichu Jin, Christina M. Glover, Haedo Cho, Olumide A. Araromi, Maximilian A. Graule, Nian Li, Robert J. Wood, Conor J. Walsh.
2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2020, pdf

Work during master program in KAIST

Dispenser printing of piezo-resistive nanocomposite Dispenser printing of piezo-resistive nanocomposite on woven elastic fabric and hysteresis compensation for skin-mountable stretch sensing

Hyosang Lee*, Haedo Cho*, Sangjoon J. Kim, Yeongjin Kim, Jung Kim.
Smart Materials and Structures, 2018, pdf, demo video
*These authors contributed equally.
Design of an optical soft sensor for measuring fingertip force Design of an optical soft sensor for measuring fingertip force and contact recognition

Haedo Cho, Hyosang Lee, Yeongjin Kim, Jung Kim.
International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems, 2017, pdf, demo video
Soft nanocomposite based multi-point, multi-directional strain mapping sensor Soft nanocomposite based multi-point, multi-directional strain mapping sensor using anisotropic electrical impedance tomography

Hyosang Lee, Donguk Kwon, Haedo Cho, Inkyu Park, Jung Kim.
Scientific Reports, 2017, pdf

Industry Experience

Wurq Inc. logo Wurq Inc.
Signal Processing Engineer (Part-time)
Boston, MA, USA 		July 2022 – May 2023
AI-powered fitness technology company

At Wurq Inc., I developed and tested advanced fitness tracking algorithms, managed wearable device data, and built AI models for activity and health tracking. I also designed strength training metrics based on biomechanics, directly improving the accuracy and impact of the company’s products.
Beflex Inc. logo Beflex Inc.
Senior Researcher
Seoul, Korea 		Sep. 2016 – Feb. 2018
Biometric data-based personal healthcare company

During my time at Beflex Inc., I focused on biometric data-driven healthcare solutions, establishing an experimental motion capture platform to analyze runners’ biomechanics and develop personalized metrics. I also built and tested a prototype with a portable microcontroller (Raspberry Pi Zero) to ensure robust, real-world data processing.

Patents
WO2024151781A1 Methods and systems for activity detection and quantification of movement kinematics

Inventors: D. Popov, C.J. Walsh, D. Kim, H. Cho, F. Bertacchi.
WO2024151781A1, 18 July 2024.

Teaching Experience

Biomechanics of Movement and Assistive Robotics (Harvard BE124/ES224) 2023-2024 Fall & 2024-2025 Spring
Teaching Fellow
  • Lectured in lab sessions, advised student projects, and provided office hours support.
Data Science 1: Introduction to Data Science (Harvard CS109A/AC209A) 2022-2023 Fall
Teaching Fellow
  • Supported 303 students in lab, helped prepare materials, and managed office hours.
Data Science 2: Advanced Topics in Data Science (Harvard CS109B/AC209B) 2022-2023 Spring
Teaching Fellow
  • Led labs and office hours, and assisted with assignments and grading for 180 students.
Introduction to Robotics (Harvard ES159/259) 2022-2023 Fall
Teaching Fellow
  • Developed course content and assisted students in lab and with assignments.
Technology Venture Immersion (Harvard MS/MBA program) 2022 Winter
Teaching Fellow
  • Created materials for IoT/embedded systems and advised MBA design projects.