ReachMD

Dr. Kurt A. Kaczmarek is a senior scientist in the department of orthopedics and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Kaczmarek is an electrical and biomedical engineer and scientist with over 20 years experience in developing haptic displays and both vibro- and electro-tactile interfaces for sensory substitution. He is a recognized expert and NIH-funded researcher in electrotactile stimulation, and is the co-inventor (with Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita) of the core tongue display technology on which the CN-NINM and BrainPort systems are based. He designed, developed and tested the first version of both the tongue display and electrotactile stimulation system for vision applications.

Dr. Kaczmarek received a BS degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1982, and an MS and PhD degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1984 and 1991, all in electrical engineering. His doctoral thesis concerned developing optimal methods for communicating information using controlled electrical stimulation of touch (electrotactile or electrocutaneous stimulation) and this remains his core research area today. His other interest areas are tactile displays, substitution and augmentation, sensory aids, neuromodulation, and instrumentation design.