Abstract:
In the 20th century, computer input devices were dominated by simple mechanical devices such as switches and encoders coupled to rolling balls. But by the 1990s, designers began to see the advantages of purely electronic interfaces based on capacitive sensing. Today, these interfaces are ubiquitous. In this talk, Dietz will discuss his work creating simple capacitive sensing circuits and how making talking animals somehow helped create the trillion-dollar smartphone industry. Along the way, audiences will see how a background in analog IC design is an unexpected super-power in creating magical experiences.
Biography:
Paul Dietz is a prolific inventor of fundamental technologies for interactive systems. He is best known for DiamondTouch, an early multitouch system that helped spark the touch interface revolution. Other notable inventions include massively multiview displays (which can simultaneously show personalized content to each of thousands of viewers on a single, shared display) and ShArc shape sensors. Dietz started his career as an analog IC designer at National Semiconductor and went on to hold positions at Walt Disney Imagineering, Mitsubishi Electric, and Microsoft, as well as launching a number of startups. Most recently, he was the distinguished engineer in residence in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. Now back in Seattle, he is serving in various roles at the University of Washington. Dietz holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MIT and master’s and doctoral degrees Carnegie Mellon University.
