Robert Kennedy has been employed at the University for over 15 years. He is Media and Control Systems Engineer in Academic and Media Services. The following is an excerpt of the August edition of AV Technology, entitled, Bringing AI Into Classroom AV Design. Long before NBC’s The Office made Scranton a lovable character, the historic city in Pennsylvania’s northeast corner has been an important voice in the nation’s narrative. With roots as an anthracite coal king, the city continues to lead the Commonwealth with innovative programs in the arts, culture, science, and healthcare. The University of Scranton is one of the city’s educational leaders that honors its prestigious legacy while keeping an eye to the future, and collaborative technologies help set the institution apart. As the media and control system engineer of The University of Scranton, Robert Kennedy, CTS designs the touchpanels of the school’s control systems and supports audiovisual technology in nearly 200 classrooms. He also works on AV system implementation, collaborating with outside integrators when necessary. Kennedy has also found a unique way to meld his passion for emerging technologies with his deep expertise in audiovisual engineering. That method is artificial intelligence (AI), specifically an Alexa Classroom Control skill that he wrote for use with Extron Pro series processors and touchpanels. The Alexa Classroom Control skill and the Extron Global Scripter Alexa Module are still in beta, but the timing of this project couldn’t be better. AI and cognitive technologies are poised to shape the future of classroom and enterprise-grade AV. |
