X, the moonshot factory
Kevin Kemper has extensive experience in the field of robotics engineering. Kevin began their career as a Tekbots Hardware Developer at Oregon State University in 2005, where they worked for three years before transitioning to the role of EECS Hardware Engineer. In this position, they were responsible for designing and producing a handheld computing device for computer science students, and they successfully secured hardware donations to support production.
Kemper then moved on to become a Graduate Research Assistant at Oregon State University, where they conducted research on the influence of mechanical impedance on force control and dynamic manipulation tasks. Kevin also developed custom hardware and implemented real-time control software using RTAI, as well as a hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform using ROS.
In 2011, Kemper joined Meka Robotics, which was later acquired by Google. As the Lead Robotics Engineer, they designed advanced modular actuator controllers and implemented software and electronics architectures for various types of robots. Kevin also oversaw sensor requirements and controls integration for complex robot systems.
After leaving Meka Robotics, Kemper joined Google as a Roboticist, where they served as the primary designer and manager of the electrical engineering and firmware for a low-cost robotic arm project. Kevin was granted four patents related to robotics during their time at Google.
Kemper then joined Otherlab as a Senior Robotics Engineer, where they developed a custom control and sensing platform for a new class of exoskeletons. Kevin also led a team of control engineers and created electronics and control software for prototypes.
In 2017, Kemper became the VP of Engineering at Roam Robotics, where they guided an engineering team across all product verticals. During their time there, they played a crucial role in the development of wearable robotics technology.
Currently, Kemper is working at X, the moonshot factory, as a Staff Robotics Engineer. Kevin also had a previous role at X as the Software & Electronics Tech Lead - Wearable Robotics, where they created a technical roadmap for rebuilding the software and electronics platform for next-generation hardware. This new design resulted in significant improvements in development speed, prototyping agility, control loop rate, and data precision.
Overall, Kevin Kemper's work experience showcases their expertise in robotics engineering, particularly in the areas of control systems, electronics, and software development.
Kevin Kemper completed their Bachelor's of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a concentration in Computer Science, at Oregon State University from 2004 to 2009. Kevin then pursued their higher education by obtaining a Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University, from 2009 to 2011.