CSEE Ph.D. student Kavita Krishnaswamy is featured in this video created by Suitable Technologies, maker of the Beam telepresence system.
Kavita, who works with CSEE professor Tim Oates, is both a Ford Foundation Predoctoral and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She has also worked at the Quality of Life Technology Center run by CMU and the University of Pittsburgh and IBM Business consulting services.
As a professional researcher with a severe physical disability, Kavita is motivated by a powerful, innate force: autonomy is the soul of independent daily living that is achieved with the advancement of technology. Her research involves the development of robotic systems to provide assistance and increase independence for people with disabilities. She is developing several prototype robotic systems that will support transferring, repositioning, and personal care, with a focus on accessible user interfaces for control that are feasible for persons with severe disabilities.
Kavita attends many events and conferences with the Beam, allowing her independence and mobility to meet, learn, and network with professionals all over the world. The Beam gives her independence to be visible in the community to explore and expand technological boundaries from her home.
If you are interested in the Beam, you can sign up to connect to a Beam at the DeYoung Museum or test drive a BeamPro.