Scientists from MIT Media Lab and NASA to Deliver Sensors Expo Keynotes

February 8, 2013. Sensors Expo & Conference has announced two keynote presenters for the industry event focused on sensing technologies driving tomorrow's solutions. The Wednesday June 5 keynote will be delivered by Joseph Paradiso, Ph.D., Director of the Responsive Environments Group at MIT Media Laboratory, and the Thursday June 6 keynote will be given by Raymond Arvidson, James, S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Washington University, and Participating Scientist, NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover Mission. This year's two-day exposition and conference will take place at The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, with preconference symposia scheduled for Tuesday June 4.

“We are thrilled Joseph Paradiso and Raymond Arvidson will provide insight from their fascinating careers with the thousands of engineers, scientists, and industry professionals from around the world who gather for the Sensors Expo & Conference,” said Wendy Loew, event director. “The theme of our event this year is 'sensors technology driving solutions,' and both of our keynote speakers will deliver real-world examples of how sensors are being used by NASA for the remote sensing of Earth, Mars and Venus as well as at MIT—exploring the potential and promise of interfacing humans to a ubiquitous electronic 'nervous system.'”

Paradiso's keynote is titled “Connecting with the Emerging Nervous System of Ubiquitous Sensing.” Paradiso will explore the near future of sensors extending across things, places, and people. This keynote will address a new kind of digital “omniscience,” which might involve building different kinds of browsers for network data and imagining buildings and tools as “prosthetic” extensions of humans that make HVAC systems an extension of one's sense of comfort. He believes that as the sensor information becomes networked and available to applications running outside of each device's domain, it will be as profound as the web was to computers.

Arvidson's address it titled “Sensors in Space: The Robotic Exploration of Mars and its Environment.” During his presentation, Arvidson will discuss how key sensor technologies have enabled robotic exploration of the red planet and the ability to explore its past and present. Participating in virtually every Mars landing since Viking 1 in 1976 and including the 2012 Mars Curiosity Rover Mission, Arvidson presents his first-hand, expert perspective on today's innovations and the promise of tomorrow's technologies in remote sensor-based systems from space.

Arvidson will discuss what's next on the horizon for utilizing advanced sensor-based systems to enable human cooperation and interaction with rovers on Mars. Although Mars is very cold and dry today, measurements from recent orbiting and landed missions indicate Mars was once warm and wet with rivers, lakes, and extensive groundwater. Arvidson will provide insight on rovers using machine-vision technologies for science in both orbital and landed instruments.

In addition to the keynote presentations, the event's comprehensive conference program provides in-depth education and technical sessions across three full-day pre-conference symposia and nine tracks of sessions. The conference program is dedicated to exploring the most up-to-date innovations in sensor technology, including big data and analytics, cutting-edge sensing applications and innovations, energy harvesting, gas sensing, MEMS, measurement and detection, remote monitoring, sensors at work, and wireless sensing solutions

Of particular note is a track titled “Novel Approaches to Measurement & Detection,” presented in cooperation with EE-Evaluation Engineering, with Executive Editor Rick Nelson serving as co-organizer and moderator.

An introductory session will present strategic insights into the future of the world data-acquisition and sensor market. Other track topics include