Kevin C. Kemper earned his B.S. in electrical and computer engineering in 2009 and his M.S. in mechanical engineering in 2011 from Oregon State University. He credits programs like TekBots and the mentorship of faculty such as Donald Heer and Jonathan Hurst for shaping his creative approach to robotics and his philosophy of tightly integrated hardware–software design.
After graduating, Kemper became lead engineer at Meka Robotics, where he developed advanced modular control architectures for robotic hands, arms, and full locomotion systems. When Meka was acquired by Google in 2014, he led a team developing a cost‑effective robotic arm, gaining deep experience in high‑performance robotic design.
Driven by a desire to expand human capability through technology, Kemper later founded Roam Robotics, where he built core wearable‑robotics technologies and helped cultivate a strong engineering culture. His work continues to influence next‑generation robotic systems and human‑assistive technologies.