Title: Self-Sustaining Wireless Interactive Surfaces

Date: Monday, December 13, 2021

Time: 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM EST

Location (Remote via Zoom): https://northeastern.zoom.us/j/4043881358

Nivedita Arora

Ph.D. Student in Computer Science

School of Interactive Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee:

Dr. Gregory D. Abowd (Co-Advisor), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, USA  and School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Dr. Thad E. Starner (Co-Advisor), School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Dr. Sauvik Das, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Dr. Hyunjoo Oh, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA 

Dr. Josiah Hester, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, USA

Dr. Joseph A. Paradiso, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA 

Thesis Statement: Self-sustaining inexpensive interactive surfaces can support wireless communication of speech, movement, and touch interactions with feedback in indoor scenarios.

Abstract:

Current computational augmentation of our environment requires a bulky power-intensive expensive add-on IoT device. To get rid of these add-ons, I build maintenance-free, inexpensive, easy-to-deploy interactive surfaces. I take three system design choices into account - power, form factor, and cost. The interactive surfaces have simple circuitry that can self-sustain themselves to wirelessly collect, interpret and respond to a wide variety of human interactions e.g., talking, touching, swiping. 

This work will introduce three projects with iteratively increasing computational capability. First, SATURN is a self-powered paper microphone based on a triboelectric generator made from inexpensive everyday materials like paper and plastic. Next, leveraging extremely simple circuitry ZEUSSS I add wireless speech communication capability to a single SATURN microphone. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the simultaneous communication with multiple MARS by enabling nano-power multiple-channel wireless communication capabilities for direction, identity, speech, and touch sensing. Finally, this work proposes a method for adding output in the form of a self-sustained feedback display powered by the human body. 

The material device, circuit, and system innovations in this thesis pave a way forward for a world where computation can be truly woven into everyday physical objects and surfaces.