Joseph Paradiso is an Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, where he directs the Responsive Environments group, which explores how sensor networks augment and mediate human experience, interaction, and perception. In addition, he co-directs the Things That Think Consortium, a group of industry sponsors and Media Lab researchers who explore the extreme fringe of embedded computation, communication, and sensing.

After two years developing precision drift chambers at the Lab for High Energy Physics at ETH in Zurich, he joined the Draper Laboratory, where his research encompassed spacecraft control systems, image processing algorithms, underwater sonar, and precision alignment sensors for large high-energy physics detectors. He joined the Media Lab in 1994, where his current research interests include embedded sensing systems and sensor networks, wearable and body sensor networks, energy harvesting and power management for embedded sensors, ubiquitous and pervasive computing, localization systems, passive and RFID sensor architectures, human-computer interfaces, and interactive media. His honors include the 2000 Discover Magazine Award for Technological Innovation, and he has authored 200 articles and technical reports on topics ranging from computer music to power scavenging.

After receiving a BS in electrical engineering and physics summa cum laude from Tufts University, Paradiso became a K.T. Compton fellow at the Lab for Nuclear Science at MIT, receiving his PhD in physics there for research conducted at CERN in Geneva.

Ramesh Raskar joined the Media Lab from Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in 2008 as head of the Lab’s Camera Culture research group. His research interests span the fields of computational photography, inverse problems in imaging, and human-computer interaction. Recent inventions include transient imaging to look around a corner, a next-generation CAT-scan machine, imperceptible markers for motion capture (Prakash), long-distance barcodes (Bokode), touch + hover 3D interaction displays (BiDi screen), low-cost eye care devices (NETRA) and new theoretical models to augment light fields (ALF) to represent wave phenomena.

In 2004, Raskar received the TR100 Award from Technology Review, presented to top young innovators under the age of 35, and in 2003, the Global Indus Technovator Award, instituted at MIT to recognize the top 20 Indian technology innovators worldwide. In 2009, he was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship. In 2010, he received the DARPA Young Faculty award. He holds more than 40 US patents, and has received four Mitsubishi Electric Invention Awards. He is currently co-authoring a book on computational photography.

Pranav Mistry is a research assistant and a PhD candidate at MIT Media Lab. Designer, Engineer and Inventor, Pranav Mistry is passionate about integrating the world of information with our real world interactions. He is the inventor of SixthSense. Among some of his previous work, Pranav has made intelligent sticky notes that can be searched, located and can send reminders and messages; a pen that can draw in 3D; a public map that can act as Google of physical world; and an invisible computer mouse. Pranav holds a Master in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT and Master of Design from IIT Bombay besides his Bachelor degree in Computer Engineering from Gujarat University. Pranav's research interests include Ubiquitous computing, Gestural and Tangible Interaction, AI, Augmented reality, Machine vision, Collective intelligence and Robotics. Sixth Sense has been awarded 2009 Invention Award by Popular Science. Pranav also won Young Innovator Award TR35 by Technology Review and recently also named on 2010 Creativity 50 list — the list of the most influential and inspiring creative personalities of 2010.

Prof. G. Swarup was born in Thakurdwara, U.P., in 1929. He obtained M.Sc. Degree in Physics from the Allahabad University in 1950, Ph.D. degree in the Electrical Engineering Dept. from Stanford University in 1961 and was awarded D.Sc. by the Roorkee, Benaras and Raipur Universities.

After 2 years in Australia and 7 years in the USA (one year as Research Associate at Harvard University and 6 years at Stanford including 2 years as a Faculty), he returned to India in 1963 to join the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at Mumbai as Associate Professor and retired in 1994 as Professor of Eminence. He was Project Director of the GMRT during 1987-1996.

During the 1960's he built the 530m long and 30m wide radio telescope of unique design at Ooty. Later during 1987-1989, he conceived and got built the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope near Narayangaon about 80 km north of Pune. GMRT is the world's largest radio telescope working at longer wavelengths. It has been designed fully indigenously for solving many mysteries of the origin and evolution of the Universe. He has published over 115 research papers and edited 4 books. He has two patents.

He is a Fellow of the highly prestigious Royal Society in the U.K., Academician of the International Astronautical Federation, Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and of all the National Science Academies in India.

He has received over 24 awards from India and abroad of which may be cited: SS Bhatnagar award 1972, Padma-Shri 1973, Meghnad Saha Medal, CV Raman Medal, William Hershel Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society 2006, Lifetime Achievement Medal by the Prime Minister of India 2008 and other awards by several academies and organizations in India, USA, USSR, Italy, Iran and Australia.

Mihir is a musician and an engineer of Indian descent who was born and raised in Paris, France. His music brings his two worlds together by blending Western harmonies with Carnatic and Hindustani sounds and rhythms. He has worked in software engineering, digital audio signal processing, and research & development consulting in the USA, Europe, and India. Mihir holds a Diplôme d'Ingénieur in Computer Science, Electronics, and Automatic Systems from ESIEA in Paris, and received a Master of Science degree in Media Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently a PhD candidate and a research assistant in the MIT Media Lab's Music, Mind and Machine group. In addition, Mihir heads the MIT Media Lab's India Initiatives, which aims to foster collaborations between the Media Lab and Indian organizations. His research interests include real-time online musical collaboration, sound analysis & synthesis, music cognition, interactive multimedia systems, and technology for the developing world. He has traveled extensively and enjoys skiing and cooking.

Andrea is interested in designing social media experiences and multi-modal input-output for portable devices with context sensing -- location, engagement, presence. She is currently a PhD student at the MIT Media Lab. She received a SM in Media Technology from MIT and an undergrad in EE from BITS, Pilani. She was a LG Electronics fellow (2009) for her work in connected experiences around television watching. Prior to starting graduate studies, she worked at HP Labs on low cost information access devices and validation of paper documents using cell phones. She has also worked on location-based service applications, and audio interfaces for dealing with a deluge of information updates.

Rohit is a graduate student in the Camera Culture group. He spends time sitting around, wondering how one can track objects that cannot be seen (that also happens to be his masters thesis). He is a Startingbloc Fellow (2011), a Center for Future Storytelling Fellow (2010), and a Narotam Sekhsaria Fellow (2009). He represented India at Loreal Ingenius 2008 (Paris) and IET International PATW Research Finals (Amsterdam). He completed his Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering at the College of Engineering Pune, India (CoEP). His research interests lie in signal processing, imaging, communications, information theory, and cryptography.

INSTRUCTORS

Santiago Alfaro is a Colombian born designer with Master degrees in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and in Media Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With an interest in objectual user interfaces and user experience he has worked in projects ranging from Lunar Mobile Environments to Education and Health care. He is also and enthusiastic maker spending significant time in learning new trades and exploring with different materials. Currently he has experience in Knitting, glass blowing, wheel-thrown clay and fabrication in wood, metal and plastics.

Micah is a PhD. student at MIT in the Media Lab with an academic background in cognitive and computer science. His works span a broad area of cutting edge technology in computer vision, robotics and human computer interaction. Past research has focused on using machine vision to detect human emotion, development of robots to teach preschool children language, use of machine vision to assist with the recognition of basic expressions by children diagnosed with autism, and blended tangible-digital games to help children diagnosed with autism become comfortable with eye contact and expression recognition. His current works include exploration of configurable stories for teaching children about social scenarios and the development of highly configurable alternative communication channels for individuals with communication challenges.

Ken received BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering in Keio Univ. in Japan. There he also worked as research assistant at Kitano Symbiotic Systems Project, ERATO, JST in Japan. After graduation, he worked as a researcher for robotics technology at fuRo in CIT in Japan where he focused on developing humanoid robotics. He is currently a PhD student in EECS undertaking research in the design and control of the active-knee prosthesis and a whole robotic leg system which includes a biarticular knee and ankle

Drew is a third-year PhD student focused on the design and configuration of synchronous social spaces. He has worked both on ways to augment physical environments to create new social possibilities as well as virtual worlds that expand our ideas about how they can be used for meetings, presentations, and play. Past projects have explored identity issues in online games, sharing presence and location on mobile devices, and collaboration technologies. Before joining the Media Lab, he was a member of the inaugural class at Olin College and received a BS in electrical and computer engineering. He has worked in the research labs at IBM, Sun, and Motorola and founded Thinkature — a web collaboration startup.

Kirmani is a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. He graduated with a Master degree from the Media Lab and an undergraduate degree in Math and Computing from IIT Delhi. His primary research interests are signal processing and optimization theory. For his Master thesis Kirmani built a camera that “looks around corners.” He was a recipient of the David Marr Prize honorable mention for this work at ICCV 2009. Kirmani enjoys traveling, swimming and music.

Nadya Peek is a PhD student in Media Arts and Sciences at MIT in the Center for Bits and Atoms. She works on digital fabrication and technology for humans.

Dhananjay V. Gadre (New Delhi, India) completed his MSc (electronic science) from the University of Delhi and M.Engr (computer engineering) from the University of Idaho. In his professional career of more than 21 years, he has taught at the SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, worked as a scientific officer at the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and since 2001, has been with the Electronics and Communication Engineering Division, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, New Delhi, currently as an associate professor. He is also associated with the global FabLab network and is a faculty at the Fab Academy. Professor Gadre is the author of several professional articles and four books. One of his books has been translated into Chinese and another one into Greek. His latest book TinyAVR Microcontroller Projects for the Evil Genius, published by McGraw Hill International, consists of more than 30 projects, implemented with FabLab tools. He is a licensed radio amateur with a call sign VU2NOX and hopes to design and build an amateur radio satellite some day.

Vinayak works as a FabLab Engineer at Vigyan Ashram, Pabal, where he develops electronics projects using Modela. Project areas are generally selected by identifying problems around us and finding appropriate solutions using electronic means and the FabLab.