Dreams, Genes, & Machines:
Are We Living Science Fiction?

Dr. Achuta Kadambi Nellie Bowles, Reporter, The New York Times
Thursday, Nov 21, 2019 | 7:30pm Mark Taper Auditorium-Central Library

What if search-and-rescue robots could sense survivors through dense smoke? What if surgical robots could perform impossible surgeries by seeing details invisible to a human doctor? At Dr. Achuta Kadambi’s UCLA lab, his team works to make these possibilities a reality. By symbiotically blending camera and algorithm designs, Kadambi gives the gift of sight to machines. With journalist Nellie Bowles, who covers tech and internet culture from San Francisco for The New York Times, Kadambi discusses how computational imaging has the potential to unleash an era of superhuman robotics.

Achuta Kadambi

Achuta Kadambi is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCLA. With applications to cyberphysical system and digital health, his research has been recognized with best paper awards, fellowships, and Lemelson-MIT student prize. His imaging research has resulted in 15t US patent filings, specifically for AI applications for autonomous cars. Kadambi received his Ph.D. From MIT.

Nellie Bowles

Nellie Bowles covers tech and internet culture from San Francisco for The New York Times. Before joining The Times, she was a correspondent for “VICE News Tonight.” She has written for California Sunday, Recode, The Guardian, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Image Credit: Robot and girls on Venice Beach, courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection

This program is generously supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation