Hello Tux! A reminder that tomorrow will be a very special day for TUX! We will be having our first ever TUX Research Poster Day, with an opening keynote from Dr. Valkyrie Savage. We will then have 21 fantastic posters from members of the TUX community on display. The poster day will be concluded with a Sanders Series Invited Lecture by Prof. Mark D. Gross from University of Colorado Boulder. The full details of tomorrow’s activities, which kick off at 11am in the MaRS Auditorium, are provided below, and can also be found on the event webpage. We look forward to seeing you there! Ali, Daniel, Khai, and Tovi TUX 2017 Research Poster Day - Tuesday, February 7 at 11:00am MaRS Auditorium @ 101 College St. (Lower Level). Schedule 11:00am Opening Plenary: Dr. Valkyrie Savage, Savage Internet 11:30am Poster Madness 11:45am Poster Session / Coffee Break 12:30pm Lunch 1:00pm TUX Sanders Series Lecture: Prof. Mark D. Gross, University of Colorado Boulder Opening Plenary: Valkyrie Savage Fabrication for Interaction Task-specific tangible input devices, like video game controllers, improve user speed and accuracy in input tasks compared to the more general-purpose touchscreen or mouse and keyboard. However, while modifying a graphical user interface (GUI) to accept mouse and keyboard inputs for new and specific tasks is relatively easy and requires only software knowledge, tangible user interface (TUI) devices are challenging to prototype and build. Rapid prototyping digital fabrication machines, such as vinyl cutters, laser cutters, and 3D printers, now permeate the design process for such devices. Using these tools, designers can realize a new tangible design faster than ever. I’ll discuss a few interesting points where digital fabrication research has poked at the “typical” way of doing tangible designs. I’ll describe new authoring techniques for tangible objects, experiments in integrating electronics and other kinds of sensing modules into fabricated objects, and designs leveraging material properties and pre-fabrication simulations. I’ll also talk about my own work, which focuses on fabrication for sensing: using our pre-fabrication knowledge of a physical object to make post-fabrication sensing easier. Bio: I call myself both a Digital Fabricatrix (as my thesis research revolved around digital fabrication) and a designveloper (as I like doing work as something between a UX designer and a developer). I’m now co-founder and CEO of Savage Internet, working roughly in the space of experiential education. In 2016, I received a PhD from UC Berkeley working with Björn Hartmann: the talk you’ll see represents my thesis work. I hold a BA in Mathematics and a BS in Computer Science from Indiana University. I’m also an enthusiastic hobbyist, and have included custom electronics and digital fabrication in projects like my husband’s 3D printed wedding ring and an interactive baby blanket for new parent friends. Sanders Series Invited Lecture: Mark D. Gross Design, Making, and Creativity (or Polymaths Unite!) People enjoy making things, as the recently burgeoning “maker movement” shows.  While often seen as a vehicle to engage young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the maker movement presents far wider opportunities to engage people in design and creativity.  The new machinery for making things—laser cutters, 3D printers and more—cry out for better tools and technologies for design, and practice making things invites people to become more creative.  Some of the most exciting opportunities and powerful insights belong to polymaths who can defy conventional disciplinary boundaries and learn to apply expertise developed in one discipline to others. Bio: I’m director of the ATLAS Institute and professor of computer science at University of Colorado Boulder. I’m also co-founder of Modular Robotics Incorporated and Blank Slate Systems with former PhD students. Previously I was on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington Seattle; before that I worked at Atari Cambridge Research, Logo Computer Systems, Kurzweil Computer Systems, the MIT Logo Lab and the Architecture Machine Group. Once upon a time I studied architecture at MIT, where I became fascinated with how design works, and how computational tools could support designing.  I still am. I’ve worked on many different things: intelligent computer aided design, virtual environments and design simulation, modular robotics and computationally enhanced construction kits and craft, tangible interaction design, sketch and diagram recognition, digital fabrication and more.
OUR SPONSORS: TUX is made possible by the support of our sponsors, Steven Sanders, Autodesk, University of Toronto Department of Computer Science, and MaRS. About MaRS: MaRS is the one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs—a place for collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship. Located in the heart of Toronto’s research district, MaRS provides the space, training, talent and networks required to commercialize important discoveries and launch and grow Canadian startups.