Sajeeva Abeywardena

Research Interests

Medical robotics Human Movement and Sports Science Biomechanics Biomechatronics Assistive robots and technology Motor Control Robotics

Teaching Strengths

Robotics
Mechatronics
Dynamics and Control
Numerical Analysis
Programming

Dr Sajeeva Abeywardena

Lecturer

School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering and Information Technology

Available For Media Comment.

Born, raised and majority educated in Adelaide; I have been with the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Adelaide University as a Lecturer in Robotics and Mechatronics since February 2026. After 8 years as a Postdoc and Lecturer at four universities in the UK; I joined Adelaide University at its establishment, excited at the prospect to motivate robotics research and to ensure the rigour and world class standards I experienced as a student of the University of Adelaide are maintained for future generations in South Australia - the Heaps Good State. 
 

My research aim is to develop technology for the benefit and advancement of society; specifically, applications with humans in the loop. Concurrently, I believe that the use of fundamental mechanism theory and mathematics is imperative to the development of elegant solutions to complex engineering problems.  My interests lie at the intersection of neuromechanics, biomechanics, control theory, robotics and physics-informed neural networks. Currently I am actively researching estimation algorithms for neuromotor assessment in human balance; the application of robotics to investigate causality of the neuro-diverse motor condition Developmental Co-ordination Disorder; and the development of wearable robots such as supernumerary robotic limbs to augment human motion.
 
Prior to joining Adelaide University, I was a Lecturer in Robotics, School of Engineering at the University of Surrey where I was awarded a grant to develop 'Data-driven models of neuro-muscular states for physical human-robot interaction'. Before this, I was a Postdoctoral researcher at 3 prestigious robotics research centres in the UK:  
 
  • Human Augmentation and Interactive Robotics (HAIR) Lab, Centre for Advanced Robotics, Queen Mary University of London where I worked on the EPSRC project Automatic Posture and Balance Support of Supernumerary Robotic Limbs. In this project, I conducted theoretical investigations into the ability of supernumerary robotic tails to augment human balance from a mechanical, biomechanical and control perspective. 
  • Human Robotics Group (HRG), Imperial College London where I was involved in the EU Horizon 2020 frameworks CONBOTS and NIMA. Within the CONBOTS project, I developed passive haptic mechanisms to explore Human-Human interaction, whilst in the NIMA project I investigated using supernumerary robotic limbs (SRLs) for human balance control. 
  • Bristol Robotics Laboratory as part of the EU Horizon 2020 Project SMARTsurg. In this role, I explored the use of anthropomorphism in the design and control of surgical instruments for teleoperated Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery. 
 
My PhD studies were conducted in the Laboratory for Motion Generation and Analysis, Monash University where I undertook a theoretical investigation into a novel six-dof parallel mechanism MEPaM and experimentally investigated its suitability to be utilised as a force feedback haptic device.
 
I am an Associate Editor in Human-Centered Robotics and Automation for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, and in Haptics and Human-Machine Interaction for the 11th International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob 2026). Further, I am an active reviewer for the following publications:
 
  • International Journal of Robotics Research
  • IEEE Transactions on Robotics
  • IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
  • IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics
  • IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
  • IEEE Transactions on Haptics
  • IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics
  • IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics
  • ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics (awarded best reviewer in 2023)
  • ASME Journal of Mechanical Design
  • Mechanism and Machine Theory

Date Position Institution name
2026 - ongoing Lecturer in Robotics and Mechatronics Adelaide University
2024 - 2026 Lecturer in Robotics University of Surrey
2021 - 2023 Postdoctoral Research Associate Queen Mary University of London
2020 - 2021 Postdoctoral Research Associate Imperial College London
2018 - 2019 Postdoctoral Research Associate Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Date Institution name Country Title
Monash University Australia PhD
University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Mechatronic Engineering (First Class)
University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences

Year Citation
2025 Anwar, E., Abeywardena, S., Miller, S. C., & Farkhatdinov, I. (2025). How Robots Can Support Balancing in Healthy People. IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, 7(1), 213-229.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2024 Abeywardena, S., Osman, Z., & Farkhatdinov, I. (2024). Modelling human postural stability and muscle activation augmented by a supernumerary robotic tail. Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 19(6), 13 pages.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2024 Abeywardena, S., Anwar, E., Miller, S. C., & Farkhatdinov, I. (2024). Mechanical Characterization of Supernumerary Robotic Tails for Human Balance Augmentation. Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 16(6), 13 pages.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2023 Abeywardena, S., & Farkhatdinov, I. (2023). Towards Enhanced Stability of Human Stance With a Supernumerary Robotic Tail. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8(9), 5743-5750.
DOI Scopus7 WoS5
2019 Abeywardena, S., Yuan, Q., Tzemanaki, A., Psomopoulou, E., Droukas, L., Melhuish, C., & Dogramadzi, S. (2019). Estimation of Tool-Tissue Forces in Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery Using Neural Networks. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 6, 10 pages.
DOI Scopus29 WoS28 Europe PMC9
2017 Abeywardena, S., & Chen, C. (2017). Inverse dynamic modelling of a three-legged six-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism. Multibody System Dynamics, 41(1), 1-24.
DOI Scopus20 WoS16
2017 Abeywardena, S., & Chen, C. (2017). Implementation and evaluation of a three-legged six-degrees-of-freedom parallel mechanism as an impedance-type haptic device. IEEE ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 22(3), 1412-1422.
DOI Scopus26 WoS20
2012 Chen, C., Gayral, T., Caro, S., Chablat, D., Moroz, G., & Abeywardena, S. (2012). A Six Degree of Freedom Epicyclic-Parallel Manipulator. Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 4(4), 8 pages.
DOI Scopus31 WoS19

Year Citation
2020 Psomopoulou, E., Persad, R., Koupparis, A., Abeywardena, S., Sani, M. F., Melhuish, C., & Dogramadzi, S. (2020). Evaluation of Force Feedback for Palpation and Application of Active Constraints on a Teleoperated System. In J. Henriques, N. Neves, & P. DeCarvalho (Eds.), IFMBE Proceedings (Vol. 76, pp. 1571-1580). SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2020 Abeywardena, S., Psomopoulou, E., Sani, M. F., Tzemanaki, A., & Dogramadzi, S. (2020). Control of a da Vinci EndoWrist Surgical Instrument Using a Novel Master Controller. In J. Henriques, N. Neves, & P. DeCarvalho (Eds.), IFMBE Proceedings (Vol. 76, pp. 1545-1550). SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG.
DOI Scopus1
2020 Fattahi Sani, M., Abeywardena, S., Psomopoulou, E., Ascione, R., & Dogramadzi, S. (2020). Towards Finger Motion Tracking and Analyses for Cardiac Surgery. In J. Henriques, N. Neves, & P. DeCarvalho (Eds.), IFMBE Proceedings (Vol. 76, pp. 1515-1525). SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG.
DOI Scopus3

Year Citation
2024 Anwar, E., Abeywardena, S., Miller, S. C., & Farkhatdinov, I. (2024). Design and Validation of a Wearable Robotic Tail for Human Balance Support. In Proceedings of the IEEE Ras and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (pp. 895-900). GERMANY, Heidelberg: IEEE.
DOI Scopus2
2022 Abeywardena, S., Anwar, E., Miller, S., & Farkhatdinov, I. (2022). Human balance augmentation via a supernumerary robotic tail. In Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society EMBS Vol. 2022-July (pp. 2878-2881). SCOTLAND, Glasgow: IEEE.
DOI Scopus6 WoS4

  • 'Data-driven models of neuro-muscular states for physical human-robot interaction', UK-RAS Network Plus, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, May 2025-July 2026

     

Adelaide University

  • ENGM3000 Mechatronics Foundations (2026 -)

University of Surrey

  • Design Skills (2024-2025)
  • Design, Make, Evaluate (2025)
  • Aircraft Structures (2025)
  • Medical Robotics (2025)

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