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Nicolas Villar is a Principal Hardware Architect in the Clinical Sensing & Analytics Group at Microsoft Healthcare NExT, working on Project Premonition: an advanced health project which aims to develop technologies for scalable monitoring of the biome. The system employs robotic mosquito traps and metagenomic techniques to collect and analyze mosquitoes, detecting the movements of potential pathogens in the environment before they cause outbreaks in humans. It also collects big data on insect behavior to better inform epidemiological models and public health organizations.
Previously, Nicolas was a Senior Researcher based at Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK. There, he co-led the Connected Play initiative, and was a member of the Sensors and Devices research group. His background is in embedded interactive systems, working at the intersection of computer science, ubiquitous computing, human-computer interaction and design. Nicolas co-led the development of Project Torino: an educational tool to teach blind and low-vision children the fundamentals of programming. He co-developed Project Emma, a platform to study the mitigating effects of vibration on tremors experienced by Parkinson’s patients. He led the R&D of Project Zanzibar, a play and interaction platform in the form of a thin, flexible sensing mat that can identify and track physical objects placed on its surface, as well as user’s touch and hand gestures. He was also one of the creators of .NET Gadgeteer, a modular electronics ecosystem to accelerate development of custom electronic devices. . |
Guest Speakers
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Jacqueline Russell is the Principal Program Manager for Microsoft MakeCode. Jacqueline has worked at Microsoft since 2005 in various groups focused on technology in education. She is passionate about using technology to enable innovative learning experiences and bring increased creativity to teaching and learning. She has worked in the tech industry for 20 years as a developer, IT Consultant and Product Manager.
Jacqueline invites all students to join her for a fun hands-on computing education session with Microsoft MakeCode. Students will learn how to program a physical computing device – like a micro:bit or Circuit Playground Express. No previous experience required! |
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The world of wearables and fashion-tech is growing extremely quickly. You’ve probably got some wearable with you right now while you’re reading this. But did you know, the area needs people who want to use technology in creative ways. This area is the very definition of Technology + Design, and it needs people like YOU. In this talk, I’ll briefly describe the area, what people are doing, areas that might interest you (such as how laser cutting is used) and some things I’ve learned along the way. I’ll also give a cool sneak peek of what is coming from Microsoft Research in the world of Fashion-Tech. Teddy Seyed is a PhD Research Intern at Microsoft Research, working with the MakeCode team to create the next generation of fashion-tech and wearables. Teddy is also an Entrepreneurial PhD Candidate in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary. His dissertation and industry work broadly focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Design, creating new ways to think about how we use and wear our devices. Teddy’s work spans from creating new types of devices, such as shared modular phones or watches, as well as in fashion-tech and wearables, empowering designers to create the next generation of things we wear. To date, Teddy’s academic and entrepreneurial work has landed coverage in print, online and broadcast around the world, including Gizmodo, MIT Tech Review, Forbes Magazine, and Daily Planet. In addition to his research and industry work, Teddy enjoys creating fashion-tech pieces and often uses that vehicle to teach or facilitate the learning of STEAM concepts. |
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