Background

I lead the Sensors and Devices group at MSR Cambridge and my research interests broadly fall into two categories: novel electronic devices and new technologies and techniques for interaction. I am also interested in tools and platforms which can be used for research in these areas. The ultimate goal of my work is to seed new devices and technologies into the market, creating new interactive experiences for users and building new business opportunities in the device ecosystem. Projects such as SenseCam, Touch Mouse, ThinSight and .NET Gadgeteer are good examples of impactful research which has also enjoyed commercial success.

My specific interests include wearable technologies, rapid prototyping, novel sensors, embedded camera systems, flexible electronics, displays, wireless communications, ubiquitous and mobile devices. Along the way I have also developed interest and expertise in robotics, indoor location and low-power radio systems such as RFID. I am also interested in computer science education and the use of wearable cameras for health-related applications. I advocate cross-disciplinary collaborations to leverage skills across a variety of hardware and software layers to deliver compelling new user experiences.

Prior to joining Microsoft Research, Cambridge, I was the Technical Director of the Cambridge Auto-ID Lab, where I helped to develop the Electronic Product Code (or EPC) which is an RFID-based successor to the barcode for tracking goods through supply chains. I also co-founded an RFID training and consultancy company. Before that, I worked as a Research Engineer at the Olivetti and Oracle Research Lab, which later became AT&T Laboratories Cambridge, where I helped to create the Active Bat ultrasonic indoor location system amongst other things. I have also worked at the Xerox Research Centre Europe at Cambridge (formerly known as EuroPARC).

I have a background in a broad range of computer-related technologies. My first degree is in Computer Science with Electronic Engineering, from University College London, and I received my PhD from Cambridge University Engineering Department in the area of Robotics and Computer Vision.

Research Interests

My current research interests include:

Wearable devices and lifelogging
Multi-touch input technologies
Embedded cameras and image processing systems
Low power wireless systems including radio frequency identification (RFID)
Embedded development tools and platforms
Rapid prototyping
Flexible electronics
Mass customisation of consumer products
Ambient displays
Battery and charging technologies, energy harvesting
Location systems
Robotics
Sustainable and environmentally-aware computing