Track Name: Emerging Technologies           Chairperson:   Panel: Ajay Bakre   JM Van Thong Ajay Bakre Herman D'Hooge       Track Speakers:     JM Van Thong Ajay Bakre Herman D'Hooge

Senior staff software engineer, Intel Digital Health Group

JM Van Thong holds a PhD in Computer Science from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France 1985. He worked first at Tangram, a start-up specialized in publishing and graphic software. Tangram was acquired by Digital Equipment to form the Paris Research Lab (PRL) where he continued developing 2D drawing applications for cartoon animation systems. In 1994, JM moved to the US to join the Digital Cambridge Lab (CRL), then Compaq and Hewlett Packard to work on speech recognition and audio indexing systems, including SpeechBot, the first audio search engine on the web (1999). Since 2000, JM focused his work on real-time streaming data processing systems and applications in the healthcare domain. In 2005, he joined the Intel Digital Health Group (DHeG). JM is currently a senior staff software engineer working in the Advanced Technology Group (ATG) in Cambridge, MA. He is responsible for the software architecture and development of health monitoring prototype applications created at ATG. JM is the author of co-author of over 25 papers, 2 books, and 15 patents.

Presentation Title Sensing and making sense: the new challenges of healthcare information systems

Abstract:
“The recent progress in sensing technology makes continuous monitoring possible for many healthcare applications and will help shift the care paradigm away from higher-cost invasive hospital stays towards lower-cost minimally intrusive home care. This approach will create new opportunities for early diagnosis, improve chronic diseases management, and enhance support for elder care. However, doctors and health practitioners face the daunting task of analyzing and reviewing vast amounts of data. Clearly computer assisted systems are needed to reliably collect data, archive, analyze and make sense of the gathered data, and help health personal to promptly make the appropriate decisions. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges faced by these systems and explain how they can be addressed by combining the appropriate combination of hardware sensors and software platforms.”

Research Scientist
Intel Research

Dr. Ajay Bakre is currently working as Research Scientist at Intel Research in Bangalore, India. He completed his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, New Jersey in 1996. He has 11 years of research and industry experience in the areas of IP/ATM Networking, Broadband Wireless Access and Storage Networking. Before joining Intel in 2003, he worked at NEC Research Labs, Iospan Wireless and Pillar Data Systems. He has several publications in the areas of Mobile Computing and Wireless Networking. He also holds 1 US patent. He is a member of IEEE and is currently serving as a Workshop Chair on the organizing committee of IEEE Comsware Conference to be held in 2008. He is also a member of the Project Review and Steering Group evaluating the implementation of a “Nationwide QoS Network Testbed” funded by Ministry of Communications and IT, Govt. of India. His current interests include Wireless Access Technologies such as WLAN and WiMax for Rural Connectivity, Mobile IP, Location Based Services and Multi-media Networking Applications.

Presentation Title Rural Wireless Connectivity: Technologies and Challenges

Abstract:
It is widely acknowledged that wireless connectivity will be the most cost effective method to bridge the "digital divide" between those who currently have Internet access and those who do not. This is especially true for developing and under-developed countries where hardly any wired connectivity options exist today in rural regions. This talk examines a few wireless technologies that are being developed today and the challenges in deploying these technologies in rural areas. Most notable among these are wireless broadband access technologies based on IEEE standards such as 802.11 and 802.16.

Innovation Strategist
Intel Research

Herman D’Hooge is Innovation Strategist with Intel Research responsible in part for bringing external innovations & innovation practices into Intel.

Previously, he established a user-centered design & innovation competency chartered with bringing new end-user experiences to personal computing that are informed by real human needs and desires. This human-focused approach involves interdisciplinary teams of ethnographers, user researchers, human factors engineers, industrial designers, interaction designers, technologists and engineers for envisioning and defining future computing platforms and technologies.

Herman joined Intel in 1981 and has held positions in technology research, development, platform architecture, industry evangelism, and management in areas ranging from multi-processor computer architectures, PC system architecture, operating systems, computer security, fault tolerance, distributed systems, computer-telephony integration, “new users, new uses” applications research, and branded consumer products (toys, cameras, audio players).

He received an MS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Computer Science both from the University of Ghent, Belgium. His professional interests are in understanding how technology can meaningfully impact people’s lives and how user-centered methods can be practically applied to inform technology innovation.

Presentation Title Human-Centered Innovation

Abstract:
The traditional “build it and they will come” mindset to technology innovation in Intel is gradually being augmented with methods aimed at first trying to understand what humans will find valuable and let that inform technology development. This presentation provides a high-level overview of this human-centered approach to innovation and explores implications for engineering education.