Saminda Balasuriya

Saminda is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working with the QUT Centre for Robotics conducting research on how robots can support people with disabilities. Saminda completed his PhD in 2023 in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) at Queensland University of Technology. Saminda has a multidisciplinary background with a Bachelor of Business and Commerce majoring in Economics from Monash University and a Master of IT from QUT.

Keywords:

Assistive technology, human-robot interaction, augmented reality, co-design, voice interfaces.

Thesis:

His thesis focused on co-designing technology and technology-based curriculums with people with intellectual disability and their support networks. Saminda is currently working with a partner disability organisation to improve technology adoption and empower staff and service users to use technologies like virtual reality, 3D printing and robots for learning and recreational purposes. He is also interested in studying how social robots can be used to support people with intellectual disability and how robots can be designed to optimise the support they provide. Before commencing his PhD, Saminda did a Master of IT (major in HCI) at QUT where he conducted research about how adults with intellectual disabilities access information using voice activated interfaces and how social robots can be used to encourage collaboration among adults with intellectual disability.

Publications: 

QUT ePrints

Orcid ID:

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2550-0437

PhD Supervisors:

Dr Laurianne Sitbon, Professor Margot Brereton