IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2023 - 132

unsolvable problems in robotics and
other domains, such as assembly and
maintenance, digital animation, and
biotechnology, were suddenly efficiently
solvable with only moderate
programming effort. Kavraki's influence
extends beyond motion planning,
as her methodology has been applied to
a wide range of problems and settings,
including kinodynamic systems. She
has also made significant contributions
to the field of bioinformatics, where
her techniques have been successfully
adapted to the challenging spaces of
structural molecular biology and drug
design. In addition to her research,
Kavraki has been a dedicated mentor
and educator, guiding numerous
students and postdocs throughout her
career. She also cocreated the Open
Motion Planning Library (OMPL),
with Mark Moll, which disseminates
SBP algorithms via a meticulously
crafted open source software library.
The OMPL has made it easier for a vast
audience to access the tools and soluthe
capabilities of robots designed for
space missions, including the Space
Gateway, humanity's first space station
in lunar orbit and the portal for
NASA's ambitious deep space exploration
plans. With applications from the
molecular level to the stars, Kavraki's
work is a shining example of great talent
and total devotion.
FIGURE 1. An IEEE Fellow, Lydia Kavraki
is the Noah Harding Professor of Computer
Science at Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
tions developed by Kavraki and her
team, without the need for developing
their own software and understanding
the algorithmic intricacies. Kavraki is
now working with NASA to advance
ABOUT THE IEEE FRANCES E.
ALLEN MEDAL
Sponsored by IBM and named in honor of
computing pioneer Frances E. Allen, the
IEEE Frances E. Allen Medal was established
by the IEEE Board of Directors in
2020; it honors " innovative work in computing
leading to lasting impact on other
aspects of engineering, science, technology,
or society. " More information on the
medal and its history can be found at
https://corporate-awards.ieee.org/award/
ieee-frances-e-allen-medal/; a list of past
winners is available at https://www.ieee.
org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/
about/awards/recipients/allen-rl.pdf.
Welcome New IEEE Robotics and Automation
Society Chapters
Congratulations and welcome to the following
newly organized IEEE Robotics
and Automation Society (RAS) Chapters:
REGION 8
HUNGARY
■ Obuda University, RAS Student
Branch Chapter
TUNISIA
■ Higher Institute of Informatics and
Mathematics of Monastir, RAS
Student Branch Chapter
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2023.3266967
Date of current version: 15 June 2023
13 IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE JUNE 2023
2
REGION 9
COSTA RICA
■ Costa Rica Institute of Technology,
RAS Student Branch Chapter
REGION 10
INDIA
■ Basaveshwar Engineering College,
RAS Student Branch Chapter
■ B.V. Raju Institute of Technology,
Hyderabad, RAS Student Branch
Chapter
■ Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara
Academy of Technical Education,
Bangalore, RAS Student Branch
Chapter
■ Kumaraguru College of Technology,
RAS Student Branch Chapter
■ Manav Rachna College of
Engineering, RAS Student Branch
Chapter
■ Manipal University Jaipur, RAS
Student Branch Chapter
■ Oxford College of Engineering,
RAS Student Branch Chapter
■ Rajeev Gandhi Memorial College of
Engineering and Technology, RAS
Student Branch Chapter

https://corporate-awards.ieee.org/award/ieee-frances-e-allen-medal/ https://corporate-awards.ieee.org/award/ieee-frances-e-allen-medal/ https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/allen-rl.pdf https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/allen-rl.pdf https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/allen-rl.pdf

IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2023

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