Speaker: James Holbery, Team Lead

Affiliation: Advanced Materials & Mechanics Team, Microsoft Applied Sciences Group

Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2018, 9:15AM

Location: 2101 Engineering V

A Flexible Future Fueled by Hybrid Electronic Architectures

Personal electronics continue to evolve as humans refine the relationship between data, communication, social interaction and personal computing. Conformal electronics will serve an increasing role in our lives delivering richer experiences from our contextual environment by incorporating active sensors, flexible displays and ubiquitous connectivity tuned by the user. Breakthroughs in integrated soft electronic structures, printed electronics and E-textiles will drive the Human-Computer Interface (HCI) to achieve greater productivity, higher performance and healthier lives. This talk will explore a HCI future that incorporates hybrid electronic structures with examples, and will speak to these technologies impacting our lives in the not too distant future.

About the Speaker

James Holbery is the Microsoft Group Leader of the Advanced Materials & Mechanics Team, developing human-computer interface products, concepts and prototypes. Previously, his research focused on polymer science, advanced fiber composites and energy-related materials. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Washington. His career has pursued a combination of personal passions and intellectual challenges. Prior to his current position, he founded two companies, the first a sporting goods company acquired by K2 Sports, most recently GridMobility, an IoT energy sustainability company, winner of the 2011 Global CleanTech Open and other national awards. Earlier in his career, he spent four years as a Mechanical Engineer within Spacecraft Engineering at Ford Aerospace Space Systems; three years as Senior Scientist at the Swiss Center for Electronics & Microdevices in Neuchatel, Switzerland; and five years as Staff Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – U.S. Department of Energy.