Professor Gadget
From: Technology Review - 08/2003 - Vol. 106, No. 6
By: Megan Vandre

Ted Selker of MIT's Media Lab has acquired a reputation as an innovator whose
prototypes and projects have received a great deal of media exposure. His
breakthroughs include the TrackPoint, a rubberized mouse button that has
become a standard feature on many laptop keyboards, but his current focus is
on context-aware computing, the creation of machines that can intuitively
guess and respond to users' needs. Selker's central lab is full of
context-aware computing prototypes, including a floor laden with sensors that
can check the position of people and adjust lighting and projectors
accordingly. Another context-aware machine is a futon-like multimedia couch
bed that could aid handicapped users by allowing them to remotely control
various functions in a reclined position through interaction with projected
overhead images. Selker coordinates the Counter Intelligence research group,
which is attempting to build a futuristic, computerized kitchen. Technologies
being developed and tested by the group include a scanner that assesses
available food items and suggests what kinds of meals they would make, and a
countertop equipped with a transport system that can transfer dishes into the
sink using vibration. Selker attributes his eagerness to solve problems to
his critical observation of the world. "Everything bothers me," he says.
"Then I try to think about how to fix it."  

http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/vandre0703.asp

