Meenakshi Balakrishnan

ACM Fellows

India - 2021

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For contributions to system-level design, embedded systems and assistive technologies for the visually impaired

Press Release

ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions within Computer Science and Informatics

India - 2018

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For research, development and deployment of cost-effective embedded-system and software solutions addressing mobility and education challenges of the visually impaired in the developing world.

Prof. Balakrishnan is a leading researcher and teacher who has devoted more than a decade to developing cost-sensitive, embedded-system and software solutions that address the mobility and education challenges of the visually impaired in India. His ASSISTECH Lab at IIT Delhi tackles these hard cost-constrained problems through interdisciplinary work spanning computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and product design and takes the solutions to real-world success. The lab attracts a large number of students including visually impaired researchers, delivering tremendous educational value by training them in the full cycle of such solutions.

The most visible of successes is the SmartCane project which provides an add-on to the white cane with the capability of detecting above-knee/hanging obstacles within a distance of 3m using ultrasonic ranging and conveying the obstacle distance using vibrations. He has worked innovatively on this project, interfacing with non-profits, government agencies and for-profits across national boundaries to bring this to the market at less than -5% of the cost of comparable devices in the west. Within India he has made over 70,000 devices available through Government schemes and 45 partner agencies. This project has won numerous awards at the national level, as well as a Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED) 2010.

Other key mobility and education products from ASSISTECH include OnBoard a device for enabling boarding of public buses by the visually impaired and the recently launched affordable Braille laptop (DotBook). To provide access to STEM education among the visually impaired, the laboratory has developed the know-how and established a non-profit startup (Raised Lines Foundation) for production of affordable tactile diagrams. Ongoing research projects include Mobility Assistant for Visually Impaired (MAVI) and Reading Assistant for Visually Impaired (RAVI).

Press Release

ACM Senior Member

India - 2009

ACM Names 71 Fellows for Computing Advances that are Driving Innovation

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, has named 71 members ACM Fellows for wide-ranging and fundamental contributions in areas including algorithms, computer science education, cryptography, data security and privacy, medical informatics, and mobile and networked systems ─ among many other areas. The accomplishments of the 2021 ACM Fellows underpin important innovations that shape the technologies we use every day.

The ACM Fellows program recognizes the top 1% of ACM Members for their outstanding accomplishments in computing and information technology and/or outstanding service to ACM and the larger computing community. Fellows are nominated by their peers, with nominations reviewed by a distinguished selection committee.

“Computing professionals have brought about leapfrog advances in how we live, work, and play,” said ACM President Gabriele Kotsis. “New technologies are the result of skillfully combining the individual contributions of numerous men and women, often building upon diverse contributions that have emerged over decades. But technological progress would not be possible without the essential building blocks of individual contributors. The ACM Fellows program honors the creativity and hard work of ACM members whose specific accomplishments make broader advances possible. In announcing a new class of Fellows each year, we celebrate the impact ACM Fellows make, as well as the many technical areas of computing in which they work.”

In keeping with ACM’s global reach, the 2021 Fellows represent universities, corporations, and research centers in Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, and the United States.

The contributions of the 2021 Fellows run the gamut of the computing field―including cloud database systems, deep learning acceleration, high performance computing, robotics, and theoretical computer science ─ to name a few.

Additional information about the 2021 ACM Fellows, as well as previously named ACM Fellows, is available through the ACM Fellows site.

News release

2018 ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions within Computer Science and Informatics

Meenakshi Balakrishnan was named recipient of the Eugene L. Lawler Award for research, development, and deployment of cost-effective embedded-system and software solutions addressing mobility and education challenges of the visually impaired in the developing world.

Balakrishnan, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has dedicated more than a decade to addressing the challenges of the visually impaired by developing low-cost, computing technology-based solutions. Each of his devices has been developed by the meticulous integration of hardware, software, and firmware. His applications have not only improved the quality of life for countless people, but also have made their day-to-day lives dramatically safer. These technologies are especially valuable in the developing world, where there are fewer resources for the visually impaired.

Perhaps his best-known technology is the SmartCane project, which allows the visually impaired to detect items above their knees within a distance of 3 meters. Balakrishnan equipped the probing cane with ultrasonic ranging, wherein the cane conveys the distance of obstacles using vibrations. Balakrishnan has also worked tirelessly to bring the SmartCane to market at an affordable cost. Working with for-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations, he introduced the SmartCane at 5% of the cost of a comparable product in the West. Within India he has made over 70,000 devices available through government initiatives and 45 partner agencies. SmartCane has also won numerous awards, including the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Citizens (TRANSED) 2010.

Additional technologies Balakrishnan and his lab have developed include the OnBoard bus identification and homing system, which helps the visually impaired identify bus routes and locate the entry door, and The Refreshable Braille, which allows the visually impaired to read digital text line-by-line through a tactile interface.

The Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions within Computer Science and Informatics recognizes an individual or group who has made a significant contribution through the use of computing technology. It is given once every two years, assuming that there are worthy recipients. The award is accompanied by a prize of $5,000.