Research Robots
Name: Omar Ansari
Hometown: Cameron, SC
Major: Computer Science
Magellan Program: Magellan Scholar (2015)
Magellan Projects: "The use of remote telepresence in collegiate classrooms to facilitate eLearning"
Magellan Mentor: Dr. Jenay Beer, Computer Science and Engineering
Meet “BEAM.” He has two wheels, no arms, and he is helping Magellan Scholar Omar Ansari
find ways to improve eLearning.
“In our field, we are using computers/robots as tools for humans to meet their goals,”
Omar said. “Without having a conversation with other people and finding out their
needs, the software or hardware won’t be used. Without users, the tools we develop
are worthless.”
This human connection is actually something Omar picked up on after changing his major
to Computer Science. He grew up wanting to be a doctor – “I knew I always wanted to
help people so I thought medicine would be the way to go,” he says. He took some Computer
Science courses his sophomore year and began to get interested in the field. He got
involved with research in Dr. Jenay Beer’s Assistive Robotics and Technology (ART) Lab and realized that Computer Science could be a way to help people, too.
Omar started with a lot of ideas for a potential project. “The overall theme of my
project ideas was assisting those with disabilities,” he said. “Dr. Beer was really
great with providing resources to see which project made the most sense. We eventually
arrived at the idea of using the BEAM for students with disabilities to attend class
who otherwise may not have been able to. Traditionally, these students would have
to use strictly online courses if they were not able to attend class in person.”
Omar is now studying the BEAM in action, assessing its effectiveness both by observing
its use in the classroom and by surveying students, faculty, and staff about their
interactions with it. “The BEAM is a telepresence robot,” Omar said. “You could think
of it as essentially ‘Skype on wheels.’ A user is able to log into the BEAM, view
the BEAM's surroundings, and move with their keyboard and mouse. The user's face is
also displayed on the robot.”
Omar says working in the ART Lab has been a great experience. “We're a very close
knit group and help each other whenever the need arises. All of us are working on
projects that involve using technologies to improve the lives of people. Some of the
researchers focus on assisting older adults, while some focus on assisting elementary
school students.”
What’s next for Omar and BEAM? Omar says there are many other directions to take telepresence
education research – building systems that are dedicated specifically for use in a
college classroom, upgrading things like camera resolution, etc. But one big thing
BEAM could use is some arms. “We can't get to the second floor of Swearingen without
waiting outside of the elevator and asking some passerby to press the elevator button.
It would be nice if we could do that ourselves!” he said.