Ted Selker
Encyclopedia
Edwin Joseph Selker, better known as Ted Selker is an American computer scientist
known for his user-interface inventions.
in 1979 with a BS in Applied Mathematics, and from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
with an MS in Computer and Information Sciences in 1981. From June 1981 to 1983 he worked as research assistant in the Stanford University, Robotics Laboratory. One of his projects was a collaborative display system for the WAITS
system of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL).
He worked for Atari
for a year, then returned to Stanford to teach for a year.
Selker joined IBM
in August 1985, first at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center
. He graduated with a PhD from City University of New York
in 1992. His thesis was titled "A Framework for Proactive Interactive Adaptive Computer Help".
He then moved to the IBM Almaden Research Center where he founded and directed the User Systems Ergonomics Research lab.
He was made an IBM Fellow
in 1996. Selker holds 57 US patents. He developed a prototype into the pointing stick
(known as TrackPoint) technology which formed the once distinctive feature of IBM ThinkPad
laptop computers.
Selker joined the MIT faculty in November 1999. He headed the Context Aware Computing Group at the MIT Media Lab
and was the MIT director of The Voting Technology Project and Design Intelligence. In 2011 he joined start-up Scanadu as Director of Research. Scanadu aims to turn smart phones into medical monitoring devices.
He has taught at Stanford University
, Hampshire College
, University of Massachusetts Amherst
, and Brown University
and consulted at Xerox PARC
. His work often takes the form of bleeding edge
prototype concept products, for example hybrid search engine
s, and is supported by cognitive science research into human computer interaction.
He is regarded as a pioneer in the field of context awareness
and has been cited in the media.
Selker's technologies have been featured on Good Morning America, ABC, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, NPR, and the Discovery channel among others. He was co-recipient of computer science policy leader award for Scientific American
50 in 2004. In June 2008 he moved to Palo Alto, California
and is married with two children. He became associate director of mobility research at Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley.
He advocates a model of innovation that he calls Excubation.
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
known for his user-interface inventions.
Biography
Selker graduated from Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1979 with a BS in Applied Mathematics, and from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
with an MS in Computer and Information Sciences in 1981. From June 1981 to 1983 he worked as research assistant in the Stanford University, Robotics Laboratory. One of his projects was a collaborative display system for the WAITS
WAITS
WAITS was a heavily-modified variant of Digital Equipment Corporation's Monitor operating system for the PDP-6 and PDP-10 mainframe computers, used at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory up until 1990; the mainframe computer it ran on also went by the name of "SAIL".There was never an...
system of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL).
He worked for Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
for a year, then returned to Stanford to teach for a year.
Selker joined IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in August 1985, first at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Thomas J. Watson Research Center
The Thomas J. Watson Research Center is the headquarters for the IBM Research Division.The center is on three sites, with the main laboratory in Yorktown Heights, New York, 38 miles north of New York City, a building in Hawthorne, New York, and offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.- Overview :The...
. He graduated with a PhD from City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
in 1992. His thesis was titled "A Framework for Proactive Interactive Adaptive Computer Help".
He then moved to the IBM Almaden Research Center where he founded and directed the User Systems Ergonomics Research lab.
He was made an IBM Fellow
IBM Fellow
An IBM Fellow is an appointed position at IBM made by IBM’s CEO. Typically only 4 to 9 IBM Fellows are appointed each year, at the annual Corporate Technical Recognition Event in May or June. It is the highest honor a scientist, engineer, or programmer at IBM can achieve.The IBM Fellows program...
in 1996. Selker holds 57 US patents. He developed a prototype into the pointing stick
Pointing stick
The pointing stick is an isometric joystick used as a pointing device . It was invented by research scientist Ted Selker...
(known as TrackPoint) technology which formed the once distinctive feature of IBM ThinkPad
ThinkPad
ThinkPad is line of laptop computers originally sold by IBM but now produced by Lenovo. They are known for their boxy black design, which was modeled after a traditional Japanese lunchbox...
laptop computers.
Selker joined the MIT faculty in November 1999. He headed the Context Aware Computing Group at the MIT Media Lab
MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a laboratory of MIT School of Architecture and Planning. Devoted to research projects at the convergence of design, multimedia and technology, the Media Lab has been widely popularized since the 1990s by business and technology publications such as Wired and Red Herring for a...
and was the MIT director of The Voting Technology Project and Design Intelligence. In 2011 he joined start-up Scanadu as Director of Research. Scanadu aims to turn smart phones into medical monitoring devices.
He has taught at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
, and Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and consulted at Xerox PARC
Xerox PARC
PARC , formerly Xerox PARC, is a research and co-development company in Palo Alto, California, with a distinguished reputation for its contributions to information technology and hardware systems....
. His work often takes the form of bleeding edge
Bleeding edge
Bleeding edge technology is technology that is so new that it could have a high risk of being unreliable and may incur greater expense in order to use it...
prototype concept products, for example hybrid search engine
Hybrid search engine
A hybrid search engine is a type of computer search engine that uses different types of data with or without ontologies to produce the algorithmically generated results based on web crawling...
s, and is supported by cognitive science research into human computer interaction.
He is regarded as a pioneer in the field of context awareness
Context awareness
Context awareness is defined complementary to location awareness. Whereas location may serve as a determinant for resident processes, context may be applied more flexibly with mobile computing with any moving entities, especially with bearers of smart communicators...
and has been cited in the media.
Selker's technologies have been featured on Good Morning America, ABC, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, NPR, and the Discovery channel among others. He was co-recipient of computer science policy leader award for Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
50 in 2004. In June 2008 he moved to Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
and is married with two children. He became associate director of mobility research at Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley.
He advocates a model of innovation that he calls Excubation.