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From Accessibility to Empowerment @ Microsoft Research

From Accessibility to Empowerment @ Microsoft Research. Manohar Swaminathan. Microsoft Research India: Brief overview. ~40 PhD researchers from all over the world (mostly CS + some social science) ~15 engineers and applied scientists ~3 program managers

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From Accessibility to Empowerment @ Microsoft Research

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  1. From Accessibility to Empowerment@Microsoft Research Manohar Swaminathan

  2. Microsoft Research India: Brief overview • ~40 PhD researchers from all over the world (mostly CS + some social science) • ~15 engineers and applied scientists • ~3 program managers • ~5 post-doctoral scholars (1-2 years) • ~30 pre-doctoral research fellows (1-2 years) • ~90 interns/year: students from bachelors, masters and PhD programs (3 – 6 months)

  3. Our work and vectors of impact Our work • Foundations (Algorithms, complexity, cryptography) • Machine Learning & AI • Systems (PL, Networking, Distributed Systems, Security, Privacy) • Technology For Emerging Markets Our vectors of impact Research impact Company impact Societal impact

  4. Technologies For Emerging markets • Understand • existing and potential technology users in developing communities. • Design •  build and evaluate technology and systems that contribute to socio-economic development. • Collaborate • with development organizations, governments, academics and industry for large-scale impact.

  5. My Bio • UG in Electronics, Masters in Electrical Engineering (IISc, Bangalore) • PhD Computer Science, Brown University • Tenure-track faculty UNC ( 1988-90) • Faculty at Indian Institute of Science (1990-2005) • Co-founder and CEO PicoPetaSimputers Pvt Ltd (2001-2006) • Simputer: Linux handheld device for the Indian market • Co-founder Strand Lifesciences (www.strandls.com) (2000- ) • Genomics based personal medicine company • Co-founder jed-i.in (Joy of engineering, design, and innovation) (2009-2015) • Enhancing engineering education in India • Senior researcher at Microsoft Research India (since Dec 2015)

  6. Virtual Reality • Realistic simulations of all sensory perceptions to create an illusion of reality • Vision • Hearing • Touch (haptics) • Smell • Taste • Proprioception • Major technology buzz today around Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality

  7. Virtual Haircut • 3D Sound haircut: Need headphones What was your experience? Did you perceive yourself to be seated in a chair with the hairdresser moving around you and chatting?

  8. Spatial Audio • Using signal processing techniques, it is possible to fake the direction of an incoming sound source and its distance to the ear. • Make a normal sound clip sound like it is emanating from a point in space. • Head Related Transfer Function • Inter-aural time delay • Spectral effects

  9. Virtual Reality • Realistic simulations of all sensory perceptions to create an illusion of reality • Vision • Hearing • Touch (haptics) • Smell • Taste • Proprioception • Major technology buzz today around Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality

  10. Virtual Reality to Accessibility • Working with Vidhya • 3D sound games for the blind • Examples: Blind Legend, Ear Monsters, Blind Side, Games in Audio Game Hub • Working with Venkatesh • CodeTalk • CodeScape

  11. Project AVARE:Audio-augmented Virtual and Real Environments • Key Abstraction • World perceived through the senses- Reality • World perceived through simulated senses: Virtual Reality • A combination: Mixed Reality • Machine Learning and AI: Use devices like cameras to sense and ‘extrct reality’ • The main challenge is to present this to people with disabilities to compensate for their impairments • Audio is the highest bandwidth sense after vision

  12. Current Projects • CodeTalk (MSR India) • CodeTalk Microsoft Blog • Soundscape (IoS App from Microsoft) • Seeing AI (iOS App from Microsoft)

  13. From Accessibility to Empowerment Through Play and Playfullness • Video Games for the vision impaired • VR and MR for the vision impaired • Gaze controlled gaming for people with SSMI

  14. Inviting Involvement of people with vision impairment • Contact: manohar.Swaminathan@microsoft.com

  15. Principles of Inclusive design at Microsoft Inclusive Design Recognize exclusion Exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases. Seek out those exclusions, and use them as opportunities to create new ideas and inclusive designs. Learn from diversity Human beings are the real experts in adapting to diversity. Inclusive design puts people in the center from the very start of the process, and those fresh, diverse perspectives are the key to true insight. Solve for one, extend to many Everyone has abilities, and limits to those abilities. Designing for people with permanent disabilities actually results in designs that benefit people universally. Constraints are a beautiful thing.

  16. Thanks! • Any Questions?

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