On April 18th, 2024, the McKechnie Family LIFE Home had the pleasure of welcoming guests for an open house to explore the research conducted at the facility. The attendees interacted with the researchers, robots, and all the technologies. Research demonstrations were given by faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The guests included Jim and […]
Yvona Vlach joined the McKechnie Family LIFE Home team in April 2024 as an Office Support Associate. She is responsible for all general office and LIFE Home operations; serves as the first point of contact for clients and visitors; coordinates client reservations and visits of the research center; provides support to the LIFE Home team; […]
The McKechnie Family LIFE Home was pleased to welcome Dr. Chris Wickens during his visit on Tuesday April 16th, 2024. Dr. Wickens is a renowned scientist who has made important and lasting contributions to psychological science. He taught engineering and experimentalpsychology, human factors engineering, and aviation psychology for 30 years at the University of Illinois […]
Abbey is a junior pursuing a major in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Technology as well as a minor in Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has a great passion for observing and improving the interactions between humans and technology from a health standpoint. In the future, Abbey dreams of […]
The McKechnie Family LIFE Home in partnership with IHSI hosted three sessions of the spring seminar series. The sessions addressed a range of topics in health technology. Participants also had the opportunity to attend a virtual tour of the LIFE Home. To learn more about this event check out this article from IHSI. Testimonials
On February 16, 2024, the McKechnie Family LIFE Home hosted Industrial and Systems Engineering students as part of the 2024 Institute of Industrial Systems Engineers (IISE) Regional Conference for Middle Eastern Students. IISE provides leadership in developing industrial and systems engineering. This student-run organization provides professional, social, and service opportunities for students at the University […]
McKechnie Family LIFE Home staff had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference on January 25th – 27th in Orlando, FL. ATIA is a global leader in assistive technology education and research and the premier organization for assistive technology manufacturers, developers, and resellers. ATIA 2024 was the place […]
On December 12th, the McKechnie Family LIFE Home team welcomed guests to explore the research being conducted in our facility, view the spaces, and interact with the technology. Research demonstrations and posters were presented by AHS faculty, staff, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The guests, including some alumni, were impressed by the wide range […]
On October 4th, 2023, McKechnie Family LIFE Home staff members attended the 2023 Chittenden Symposium at the I-Hotel. This symposium brought faculty and students together from the Departments of Kinesiology & Community Health and Industrial and Enterprise System Engineering at Illinois. We presented a poster about the LIFE Home to share our resources and describe […]
The McKechnie Family LIFE Home welcomes two new robots to the facility: PARO and Moxie. PARO is a therapeutic robot that is designed to provide emotional support and companionship. PARO’s features include interactive sensors that allow it to respond to its environment and interact meaningfully. It responds to human contact by making various sounds, moving […]