Sensors tell us about the physical world and allow us (or machines) to make informed decisions. As sensors become more ubiquitous what will we be able to learn from them? What will we be able to do with them?
At ETech we have a number of talks that demonstrate sensors effect on news, sports, office environments, cities and art. ETech is happening March 9-12 in San Jose. Use et09pd30 at checkout for 30% off. Here are just some of the sensor-oriented talks:
Sensors, Smart Content and The Future of News
Nick Bilton (The New York Times R&D Labs)
We are currently in a time when sharing and social networks are changing the way we consume editorialized media and the definition of ‘content’ is increasingly blurred. In the R&D Labs at The New York Times we are exploring some of the questions around how we will consume information in the next 2 to 20 years.
Building the Programmable Environment: Co-Design and Physical/Digital Space Making
Jennifer Magnolfi (Herman Miller)
The design and production of physical/digital spaces is at the heart of what we call the Programmable Environment. Instead of environments complete and fixed in time, subject to renovation or demolition when their purpose is no longer relevant, the result is a spatial system designed to evolve over time, in interaction with the users who inhabit it.
Urban Futures
Chris Luebkeman (Arup)
When we look at the world around us we see many examples of places and spaces that we both love and hate. What would you ‘cut and paste’ from different parts of your city to create the ideal sustainable urban environment? Arup have spent a number of years discussing what the eco-city would need to look like if we are going to move towards an Ecological Age.
Making Art with Lasers, Sensors and the Net
Aaron Koblin (Google)
Aaron Koblin will discuss the process of turning data into visual expression. As Director of Technology on Radiohead’s latest music video for “House of Cards,” he worked with sensor technologies as an alternative to traditional video. Aaron will also discuss his role at Google’s Creative Lab in San Francisco, and discuss some of his other data-visualization software.
The Greatest Virtual Marathon: Computing and Materials in Sports
Michael Tchao (Nike Techlab)
The greatest sports athletes’ records live and die by their hi-tech gear. They use new swimsuits like the razor to shave seconds off their laps and sensors like the Nike+ to record their training. Michael Tchao of Nike Labs and will share with us the process behind these creations and the new materials and technology that make them happen.
Mobile Phones Reveal the Behavior of Places and People
Tony Jebara (Columbia University & Sense Networks)
As more of us generate GPS data with our mobile phones, how can this aggregated information give us an unprecedented new understanding of the people, places, and rhythms that make up our cities? Location data combined with learning algorithms lets us cluster different places and people into social categories and tribes.
