Archive for April, 2009
Ted Selker
MIT Media Lab, USA
http://web.media.mit.edu/~selker/
Biography
Dr. Ted Selker is an Associate Professor at the MIT Media and Arts Technology Laboratory, and the Director of the Context Aware Computing Lab. Context aware computing strives to create a world in which peoples desires and intentions cause computers to help them. The lab is recognized for its work in creating environments that use sensors and artificial intelligence to create so-called “virtual sensors”; adaptive models of users to create keyboardless computer scenarios. Ted is director of Counter Intelligence a form discussing kitchens and domestic technology, lifestyles and supply changes as a result of technology. Ted is also known for his work on voting technology.
Prior to joining MIT faculty in November 1999, Ted was an IBM fellow and directed Directed the User Systems Ergonomics Research lab. He has served as a consulting professor at Stanford University, taught at Hampshire, University of Massachussets at Amherst and Brown Universities and worked at Xerox PARC and Atari Research Labs.
Ted’s research has contributed to products ranging from notebook computers to operating systems. His work takes the form of prototype concept products supported by cognitive science research. He is known for the design of the TrackPoint in-keyboard pointing device found in many notebook computers, and many other innovations at IBM. Ted’s new domestic technologies have been featured on Good morning America, food channel, ABC and Discovery channel and many radio interviews and in print forums.
Ted is work has resulted in award winning products, numerous patents, papers and is often featured by the press.
Abstract
The familiar and useful come from things we recognize. Many of our favorite things’ appearance communicate their use; they show the change in their value though patina. As technologists we are now poised to imagine a world where computing objects communicate with us in-situ; where we are. We use our looks, feelings, and actions to give the computer the experience it needs to work with us.
Keyboards and mice will not continue to dominate computer user interfaces. Keyboard input will be replaced in large measure by systems that know what we want and require less explicit communication. Sensors are gaining fidelity and ubiquity to record presence and actions; sensors will notice when we enter a space, sit down, lie down, pump iron, etc. Pervasive infrastructure is recording it.
This talk will present demonstrating examples in which our intentions can be understood and acted on by computers. Our work reaches across domains to demonstrate the principle of implicit communication as plausible control for systems can be competent. Examples in the home, office, car even bicycle will be presented.