McKechnie Family LIFE Home hosts a Spring Open House

On April 16th, 2025, the McKechnie Family LIFE Home welcomed guests to its Spring Open House, offering a hands-on look at innovative research with a spotlight on social and assistive robots. Visitors explored the facility at their own pace, engaged with researchers from across campus, and participate in interactive demonstrations. A highlight of the afternoon […]

Manan Maheshwari

Mana is pursuing an M.Eng in Autonomy and Robotics, with a passion for AI-driven autonomous systems and human-robot interaction. Harish is working with Moxie, focusing on enhancing assistive robotics at the LIFE Home. His goal is to develop intelligent, adaptable robots for healthcare, smart homes, and automation, combining computer vision, reinforcement learning, and tactile sensing […]

Yuheng (Leo) Wang

Leo majors in Industrial design and minor in Game Studies and Design . He has a deep passion for his major, Industrial Design, as he truly enjoy the process of designing and developing products, as well as the challenges and setbacks that come with it. Additionally, Leo is also interested in visual communication and CG animation. […]

Vikram Raj Nagoor Kani

Robotics Engineer | Autonomy & AI Enthusiast | Innovator in Assistive Technologies Vikram is a Master of Engineering candidate in Autonomy and Robotics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, passionate about bridging cutting-edge AI with physical robotic systems to solve real-world challenges. His work revolves around computer vision, sensor fusion, and distributed autonomous systems, with […]

Spring Open House 2025: More Details

Event Details:  Date: Wednesday, April 16  Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM  Location: The McKechnie Family LIFE Home  Address: 75 Bailey Drive, Champaign, IL 61820  Overflow Parking: 60 Bailey Dr., Building 8, Champaign, IL, 61820  Click Here to RSVP! Event Highlights:  This open house will spotlight social and assistive robots and their role in enhancing […]

Srivishnu Vusirikala

Major: Computer Science Passions: Srivishnu likes to solve big problems in various fields, from mathematics to computer science. Work: At the LIFE Home, Srivishnu works with integrating the GPT model into the Misty Robot. Future goals: Srivishnu wishes to make use of his technical skills to create a tangible impact on society To see other […]

Harish Kumar Balaji

Program: MEng in Autonomy and Robotics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Passions: Robotics, autonomous systems, and assistive technologies that enhance human-robot interaction and accessibility. Work at LIFE Home: Harish is currently working on assistive robotics research, focusing on improving the accessibility of the Stretch robot for individuals with mobility and speech impairments. His work includes developing […]

McKechnie Family LIFE Home hosts a Fall Open House

On October 2nd, 2024, the McKechnie Family LIFE Home opened its doors for a fall open house, inviting visitors to experience firsthand the innovative research happening within the facility. Guests had the opportunity to interact with researchers, advanced technologies, and robotics demonstrations. Faculty, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students showcased their work, sparking engaging conversations about […]

Warrior-Scholar Tour

The McKechnie Family LIFE Home had the honor of welcoming 20 Veterans from the Warrior-Scholar Project to our facility on July 25th, 2024. These Veterans have been participating in “academic boot camp” where they explore college research in preparation for the beginning of their own university experience.  The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hosted some activities for them, including […]