Carnegie Mellon University
January 03, 2011

Media Advisory: Computer Vision and Robotics Expert Takeo Kanade To Demonstrate Quality of Life Technologies

Appearing at 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show

Contact: Kristen Sabol (at CES) / Mobile 412-303-7396 / ksabol@cs.cmu.edu
Byron Spice / 412-268-9068 /bspice@cs.cmu.edu

Who: Takeo Kanade, U.A. and Helen Whitaker University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics and director of the Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center at Carnegie Mellon University.

What: Guest appearance to demonstrate and answer questions about more than 10 products and innovations emerging from Quality of Life Technology Center research, including:

  • First-Person Vision, a wearable vision system that analyzes scenes and behaviors in a person's surroundings using video images from the wearer's point of view;
  • Lean&Zoom, an auto-magnification tool for PCs and Macs used to relieve eye and neck strain;
  • Several innovations in soft and intuitive robotics designed to make assistive devices safer for direct human interaction.
     
Where: 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show, Quality of Life Technology Center Booth #3013, Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall, Las Vegas

When: 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 8, and 9-11 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 9

About Takeo Kanade:
Kanade is acknowledged as one of the world's leading experts in computer vision — the science of enabling computers to see and interact with their environments. His research spans system development in computer vision for motion, stereo and object recognition, recognition of facial expressions, virtual(ized) reality, content-based video and image retrieval, VLSI-based computational sensors, medical robotics, and autonomous helicopters. Kanade has served as director of Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute and the Digital Human Research Center in Tokyo.

In 2006, with support from the National Science Foundation, Kanade established the Quality of Life Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh to explore the use of intelligent systems in augmenting mind and body for greater self-determination and independence among older adults and people with disabilities. The QoLT Foundry was added in 2008 to commercialize products emerging from the Center's research for everyone.

For Kanade's full biography see: http://www.ri.cmu.edu/person.html?person_id=136 and http://www.cmu.edu/qolt/People/leadership/kanade-takeo.html

About the Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Center:
The Quality of Life Technology Center is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC) focused on the development of intelligent systems that enable older adults and people with disabilities to live more independently. QoLT Center addresses needs and activities of everyday living by prototyping personal assistive robots, cognitive and behavioral coaches, human awareness and driver assistance technologies. QoLT Research is rooted in human-system interaction and observes social and clinical factors for deployment and adoption. In addition to R&D, educational programs, commercialization initiatives and unique partnership opportunities are offered. The Center is jointly run by Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

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