Context Aware Computing, Understanding and Responding to Human Intention

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Ted Selker

Abstract

This talk will demonstrate that Artificial intelligence can competently Improve human interaction with systems and even each other in a myriad of natural scenarios. Humans work to understand and react to each others intentions. The context aware computing group at the MIT Media lab has demonstrated that across most aspects of our life, computers can do this too. The groups demonstrations range from car to office kitchen to and even bed. The goal is to show that human intentions can be recognized considered and responded to appropriately by computer systems. Understanding and acting appropriately to intentions requires more than good sensors, it requires understanding of the value of the input. The context aware demonstrations therefore rely completely on models of what the system can do, what the tasks are that can be performed and what is known about the user . These models of system task and user form a central basis for deciding when and how to respond in a specific situation.

Dr. Ted Selker is an Associate Professor at the MIT Media, the Director of the Context Aware Computing Lab, the MIT director of The Voting Technology Project and the Counter Intelligence/ Design Intelligence special interest group on domestic and product-design of the future. Ted's work strives to demonstrate that peoples intentions can be recognized and respected by the things we design. Context aware computing creates a world in which peoples desires and intentions cause computers to help them. This group is recognized for its creating environments that use sensors and artificial intelligence to create so-called "virtual sensors"; adaptive models of users to create keyboard less computer scenarios. Ted's Design Intelligence work has used technology rich platforms such as kitchens to examine intention based design., Ted's work is also applied to developing and testing user experience technology and security architectures for recording and voter intentions securely and accurately.

Prior to joining MIT faculty in November 1999, Ted was an IBM fellow and directed the User Systems Ergonomics Research lab. He has served as a consulting professor at Stanford University, taught at Hampshire, University of Massachusetts 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 technologies are often featured in national and international news media.

Ted is work has resulted in award winning products, numerous patents, papers and is often featured by the press. And was co recipient of computer science policy leader awarded for Scientific American 50 in 2004 and the American Association For People with Disabilities Thomas Paine Award for his work on voting technology.