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