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About

Saminda Sundeepa Balasuriya is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of assistive technology, human-robot interaction, and inclusive design, with a primary focus on empowering people with intellectual disabilities. Her work critically examines how emerging technologies—from social robots to everyday digital tools—can foster engagement, collaboration, and independence for this community. Balasuriya’s most influential study, “A Support Worker Perspective on Use of New Technologies by People with Intellectual Disabilities” (28 citations), reveals the pivotal role of support staff in mediating technology adoption within Australian disability community centres. She further demonstrated that social robots can spark collaboration and sustained engagement among adults with intellectual disabilities, as shown in her 2019 paper (22 citations) and subsequent exploratory study (13 citations). Her latest work (2024) advances the field by advocating for co-design methodologies, ensuring that adults with intellectual disabilities have a direct voice in shaping future collaborative and social robotics. Through her research, Balasuriya has established herself as a leading voice in inclusive human-robot collaboration, challenging techno-centric assumptions and championing participatory design that centers the lived experiences of marginalized users.