Ravi Agarwal

"And somewhere there are engineers, Helping others fly faster than sound. But, where are the engineers, Helping those who must live on the ground?"-Young Oxfam Poster
I am interested in research on Assistive Robotic and Software Systems. Assistive Technologies can reduce social exclusion and assist social and vocational integration. I want to explore further how to make appropriate extensions to human ability through robotic prosthetics and computerized systems, and to develop more personalized augmentative and assistive systems.

I am enrolled in the undergraduate research program(B.Tech. Honors) at my institute. I have always wanted to work on projects which have a potential to bring some change and are related to solving a real problem in society. This is what motivated me to work with CSL(Cognitive Science Lab) and CITE(Center for IT in Education), on project Autinect, under the guidance of Prof.Bipin Indurkhya(Head of CSL) and Ms.Harini Sampath (Research Scientist). The aim of Autinect project is to build a low-cost, non-invasive technology to help children with ASD learn social cues. The design of Autinect is based on our observations of children with ASD and inputs from a clinical psychologist who works with these children.
As a student of Computer Science and Engineering I have always believed that it equips one with tools to solve problems. Last summer I got a chance to work in a village for about a month where I got to interact a lot with the villagers and gained insights into the problems they face in their daily life. Recently I participated in a national train journey called Jagriti Yatra which exposed me to individuals and institutions that are developing unique solutions to India's challenges. These experiences have made me realize that in a society where on one hand we need to catch up with new technology and on the other hand we need technology to reach the poorest of the poor, we as engineers have tremendous opportunity to exercise our knowledge.