Keynotes
ESC Chicago Keynote Speakers
Dr. Hugh Herr, Tuesday, June 7, 2011 • 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
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Dr. Hugh Herr |
Society is at the threshold of a new age when machines will no longer be separate, lifeless mechanisms, but will instead be intimate extensions of the human body. Such a merging of body and machine will not only improve the quality of life for disabled people, but will allow persons with normal physiologies to experience augmented capabilities -- cognitively, emotionally and physically. Professor Hugh Herr of the MIT Media Lab describes "Human 2.0" — an era where technology will merge with our bodies and our minds to forever change our concept of human capability. Hugh features research work that is blurring the distinction between "able bodied" and "disabled," demonstrating technologies at the neural-digital interface. These new research initiatives are capable of addressing a plethora of conditions currently at clinical impasses, from social-emotional prostheses for persons with autism, to robots that monitor and protect the health of children or the elderly, to the development of smart prostheses that can emulate -- and even exceed the capabilities of-- biological limbs. Hugh believes that through an ever-increasing technological sophistication, human disability will largely be eliminated in this 21st century, setting the stage for innovations that will ultimately benefit all humanity.
About Dr. Hugh Herr:
By age 17, Hugh was considered a rock climbing prodigy. Media coverage of his extraordinary athletic accomplishments heralded him as one of the best climbers in the United States. In January 1982, while attempting to summit Mount Washington in New Hampshire, Hugh and a fellow climber were caught in a blizzard and stranded on the mountain for three nights in -20F degree temperatures. By the time they were rescued, the climbers had suffered severe frostbite. Both of Hugh's legs were amputated below the knees. Following months of surgeries and rehabilitation, Hugh was doing what doctors had believed unthinkable: climbing again. Using prostheses that he designed, Hugh climbed at a more advanced level than he had before the accident, making him the first person in history with a major amputation to compete at an elite level against persons with normal physiologies.
Hugh is currently director of the Biomechatronics research group at the MIT Media Lab where he focuses on developing wearable robotic systems that serve to augment human strength, endurance and agility. Hugh has advanced novel bionic technologies, including a computer-controlled artificial knee, an active ankle-foot orthosis, and the world's first powered ankle-foot prosthesis. These devices are advancing an emerging field of engineering science that applies principles of biomechanics and neural control to guide the designs of human rehabilitation and augmentative devices.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 • 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
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Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx |
• What is printed electronics?
• How printed electronics is impacting displays, solar cells, energy storage, sensors and beyond.
• Current technical progress and capability of printed sensors: photodetectors, thermistors, strain gauges, touch sensors, actuators and more.
• Case studies of success.
• The market opportunity for printed sensors and printed electronics: 2011-2021.
About Raghu Das: Raghu Das MA (Cantab) is CEO of IDTechEx. He has an MA Natural Sciences degree from Cambridge University, where he studied physics. He has been closely involved with the development of RFID, printed electronics, energy harvesting and electric vehicles for over ten years, carrying out consultancy in Europe, USA, Asia and the Middle East. He has lectured on these topics at over 300 events and conferences around the world and is author of several IDTechEx publications.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
