Abstract

At Microsoft Research in Cambridge, we have built a new rapid prototyping platform for small devices, named Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer. This platform combining the advantages of object-oriented programming in a managed environment, solderless assembly of electronics with a kit of peripherals, and quick physical form factor design using CAD . In the first part of this talk I will demonstrate how Gadgeteer can be used to quickly prototype devices, and elaborate on how this platform can be useful for a wide audience including researchers, engineers, designers and educators. I will then discuss an ongoing research project using Gadgeteer to sense occupancy and control heating in five homes in the UK and USA , with the aim of automatically inferring future occupancy from historical data, enabling energy savings while maintaining users’ preferred comfort temperatures, and minimising the thermostat programming required from the user.

BIO : James Scott is a researcher in the Sensors and Devices group at Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK. His research interests span a wide range of topics in ubiquitous and pervasive computing, and include novel sensors and devices, mobile interaction, rapid prototyping, wireless and mobile networking, energy management, and security and privacy. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and has served on the PCs of leading international conferences such as UbiComp, MobiSys and Pervasive, and is the current steering committee chair of the UbiComp conference series. You can find out more about his research at http://research.microsoft.com/~jws/