NSF Offers USD $15 Million Research Grant to CMU and Pitt

NSF has offered USD $15 million grant to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University to explore new methods for improving the quality of life for the elderly and those with visual or physical disability.

Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center will be set up with the grant money. This Center will bring scientists, engineers, and medical professionals under one roof, so that they can work on developing innovative technologies to improve the independence and self-determination of the elderly and the disabled, and that to without worrying about bringing products to market.

Researchers are mainly focusing on four key areas; the first one involves monitoring and modeling; by capturing aspects of human behavior, the researchers will try to develop their understanding of machine learning. The second category involves mobility and manipulation; the researchers will develop technologies to enable people with disabilities to get around with greater ease and machines that better understands the user’s capabilities, like the Intelligent Mobility Platform (a device that helps users navigate to their destination). The third area covers human-systems interfaces; use technologies like Trinetra (a device that scans barcodes at the grocery store) to improve the quality of life for those with sensory impairments.

Another technology EdgeWrite, an application originally created to make it easier for Parkinson’s patients or those who might have suffered from a stroke to write on a PDA is on the lines. The final area focuses on the practical applications of the new technologies.