UW News

September 30, 2015

Engineering lecture series focuses on privacy in the age of smart technology

iStock_000007947394LargeIn the age of “smart” technology, the devices we use ­— from phones that enable banking and shopping to personal robots and driverless cars — will leave a trail sharing who we are, where we go and what we consume.

Over the next month, the University of Washington College of Engineering’s fall lecture series will feature faculty researchers balancing technological advances with the myriad hazards, seen and unseen, of our ever-more-connected world. The lectures are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and advance registration is required.

The series kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Kane Hall 130 with “The invisible trail: Pervasive tracking in a connected age.” Franziska Roesner, assistant professor of computer science & engineering, will explore risks from security breaches and invasions of digital privacy from advertisers, social media and even your smartphone — as well as UW innovations that make online and mobile use safer.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, robotics will take center stage at Kane Hall 130 in “Our robotic future: Building smart robots that see in 3-D.” UW computer science & engineering professor and head of the UW Robotics and State Estimation Lab Dieter Fox will explain how cutting-edge robots are learning to do 3-D mapping, recognize and manipulate objects and track human movement and poses. The ability for robots to see and interact with a 3-D world is crucial for introducing robots into everyday use.

Finally, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Kane Hall 130 a panel will tackle “Responsible innovation: A cross-disciplinary lens on privacy and security challenges.” Engineering innovations drive changes in how people interact, socialize, conduct business, raise their children and care for the elderly.  But as each new technology brings benefits and risks that regulation may struggle to address, what does it mean to innovate responsibly, particularly with respect to privacy and security? This presentation and panel discussion by the UW Tech Policy Lab, an interdisciplinary center uniquely positioned to address these issues, will feature:

Ryan Calo, assistant professor, School of Law and co-director, UW Tech Policy Lab
Batya Friedman, professor, Information School and co-director, UW Tech Policy Lab
Tadayoshi Kohno, Short-Dooley Professor, Computer Science & Engineering and co-director, UW Tech Policy Lab

All lectures are free and start at 7:30 p.m. Advance registration, either online or by calling 206-543-0540, is required. All lectures will be broadcast at a later date on UWTV.