Rosalind Picard

Rosalind W. Picard (born May 17, 1962 in Massachusetts) is Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT, director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the MIT Media Lab, and co-director of the Things That Think Consortium.cite web|url=http://www.media.mit.edu/people/bio_picard.html |title=Media Lab Faculty Biography|publisher=MIT Media Lab|accessdate=2008-05-05] In 2005, she was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. [cite web|url=http://www.ieeeboston.org/fellows/fellows_05.htm|title= 2005 Fellows|publisher=IEEE Boston|date=2005|accessdate=2008-05-05]

Picard is credited with starting the branch of computer science known as affective computing [cite web
url= http://ls12-www.cs.tu-dortmund.de//~fink/lectures/SS06/human-robot-interaction/Emotion-RecognitionAndSimulation.pdf
title= Recognition and Simulation of Emotions
accessmonthday= May 13
accessyear= 2008
last= Kleine-Cosack
first= Christian
year= 2006
month= October
format= PDF
quote= The introduction of emotion to computer science was done by Pickard (sic)who created the field of affective computing.] [cite web
url= http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.12/love.html
title= The Love Machine; Building computers that care.
accessmonthday= May 13
accessyear= 2008
last= Diamond
first= David
year= 2003
month= December
publisher= Wired
quote= Rosalind Picard, a genial MIT professor, is the field's godmother; her 1997 book, Affective Computing, triggered an explosion of interest in the emotional side of computers and their users.] with the publication of "Affective Computing". This text-book described the importance that recognizing human emotions has to relationships between people, and the possible effects of such recognition by robots.cite web|url=http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?tid=4060&ttype=2|title=Publication of "Affective Computing"|publisher=MIT Press|accessdate=2008-05-05] Her work in this field has lead to an expansion into autism research and developing devices that could help humans recognize nuances in human emotions.cite web|last=Nasr|first=Susan|url=http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17748&ch=biotech&a=f|title=Help for Autism: A new device teaches the interpretation of facial cues|publisher=MIT|date=November 2006|accessdate=2008-05-05]

Academics

Picard holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a certificate in computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1984), and master's (1986) and doctorate degrees (1991), both in electrical engineering and computer science, from MIT. Her thesis was titled "Texture Modeling: Temperature Effects on Markov/Gibbs Random Fields". She has been a member of the faculty at the MIT Media Laboratory since 1991, with tenure since 1998 and a full professorship since 2005. [cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/tenure-0601.html|title=Faculty members awarded tenure|publisher=MIT News Office|date=2005-06-01|accessdate=2008-05-05]

Picard is a researcher in the field of affective computing and the founder and director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the MIT Media Lab. The Affective Computing Research Group develops tools, techniques, and devices for sensing, interpreting, and processing emotion signals that drive state-of-the-art systems which respond intelligently to human emotional states. [cite web|url=http://www.media.mit.edu/research/30|title=Research Projects of the Affective Computing Research Group|publisher=MIT|accessdate=2008-05-05] The key aspect that Picard focuses on in her research is not in the difference between "excited" and "calm" emotions, but in the difference between "excited-happy" and "excited-angry-or-upset", which are complicated for a computer to determine. [cite web|last=Lacy|first=Hester|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990516/ai_n14232773|title=On your wavelength|publisher=The Independent|date=May 16, 1999|accessdate=2008-05-05] Applications of their research include improved tutoring systems and assistive technology for use in addressing the verbal communications difficulties experienced by individuals with autism. [cite web|url=http://affect.media.mit.edu|title=Affective Computing Group web page|publisher=MIT|accessdate=2008-05-05] [cite web|url=http://affect.media.mit.edu/projects.php|title=Affective Computing Group - Current and Past Projects|publisher=MIT|accessdate=2008-05-05]

She also works with Sherry Turkle and Cynthia Breazeal in the fields of Social robots, Digital image processing, Pattern recognition, and Wearable computers. Picard's former students includes Steve Mann, professor and researcher in wearable computers.

"Affective Computing"

While working in the field of affective computing, Picard published "Affective Computing". MIT's press release for Picard's textbook states, "According to Rosalind Picard, if we want computers to be genuinely intelligent and to interact naturally with us, we must give computers the ability to recognize, understand, even to have and express emotions."

Picard explains the need to monitoring emotional cues and how this is present with humans when she states::"Whatever his strategy, the good teacher detects important affective cues from the student and responds differently because of them. For example, the teacher might leave subtle hints or clues for the student to discover, thereby preserving the learner's sense of self-propelled discovery. Whether the subject matter involves deliberate emotional expression as is the case with music, or is a "non-emotional" topic such as science, the teacher that attends to a student's interest, pleasure, and distress is perceived as more effective than the teacher that proceeds callously. The best teachers know that frustration usually precedes quitting, and know how to redirect or motivate the pupil at such times. They get to know their student, including how much distress that student can withstand before learning breaks down."Picard, Rosalind. "Affective Computing". MIT Press, 1997. p. 93-94] But such emotional cues are not part of robotic intelligence.

In order to portray how such a recognition would alter interactions with robots, Picard gave an example situation::Imagine your robot entering the kitchen as you prepare breakfast for guests. The robot looks happy to see you and greets you with a cheery "Good morning." You mumble something it does not understand. It notices your face, vocal tone, smoke above the stove, and your slamming of a pot into the sink, and infers that you do not appear to be having a good morning. Immediately, it adjusts its internal state to "subdued," which has the effect of lowering its vocal pitch and amplitude settings, eliminating cheery behavioral displays, and suppressing unnecessary conversation. Suppose you exclaim, "Ow!!" yanking your hand from the hot stove, rushing to run your fingers under cold water, adding "I can't believe I ruined the sauce." While the robot's speech recognition may not have high confidence that it accurately recognized all of your words, its assessment of your affect and actions indicates a high probability that you are upset and maybe hurt.http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Affective_computing (article by R.Picard) ] In such a situation, it is necessary for the robots to understand the emotional aspects of humans in order to better serve their intended purpose.

Her work has influenced many fields beyond computer science, ranging from video games [citation|last=Binkley|first=Timothy|title=Autonomous Creations: Birthing Intelligent Agents|url=http://www.jstor.org/pss/1576591|journal=Leonardo|volume=31|issue=5|year=1998|pages=336] to law. [citation|last=Huang|first=Peter H.|url=http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=313842|title=International Environmental Law and Emotional Rational Choice|journal=The Journal of Legal Studies|volume=31|issue=1|date=January 2002|pages=S245] One critic, Aaron Sloman, described the book as having a "bold vision" that will inspire some and irritate others. [citation|last=Sloman|first=Aaron|authorlink=Aaron Sloman|title=Review of Affective Computing|publisher=AI Magazine|date=1999] Other critics emphasize the importance behind the work as it establishes an important framework for the field as a whole. [cite web|last=Diehl|first=Stanford|url=http://www.byte.com/art/9802/sec3/art9.htm|title=Book Review: A Computer to Love|publisher=Byte|date=February 2008|accessdate=2008-05-05] Picard responded to Sloman's review by saying, "I don’t think the review captures the flavor of the book. However, he does raise interesting points, as well as potential misunderstandings, both of which I am grateful for the opportunity to comment on." [citation|last=Picard|first=Rosalind|title=Response to Sloman’s Reviewof Affective Computing|publisher=Volume 20 Number 1, AI Magazine |date=1999]

Autism research

Besides researching robotic intelligence, Picard has performed research in the field of autism. Her team uses an "ESP", or "emotional­-­social intelligence prosthesis", which is a tool that allows a person with autism to monitor their own facial reactions in order to educate them on social cues in others. This device has a 65% accuracy rate for reading the emotional state of an individual. [cite web|last=Schuessler|first=Jennifer |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10section3b.t-2.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin |title=The Social-Cue Reader|publisher=The New York Times|date=December 2006|accessdate=2008-05-05] She revealed parts of this technology at the 11th Annual International Symposium on Wearable Computers. [cite web|last=Wertheimer|first=Linda |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/08/look_out_logan_software_is_soft_wear/ |title=Look out, Logan: Software is soft wear|publisher=The Boston Globe|date=October 8, 2007|accessdate=2008-05-05]

Religion and science

Picard says that she was raised an atheist, but converted to Christianity as a young adult.cite news |first=Mirko | last=Petricevic |title=A scientist who embraces God |url=http://news.therecord.com/article/264978 |work=The Record |publisher=Metroland Media Group Ltd. |location=Kitchener, Ontario |date= 2007-11-03|accessdate=2008-05-06] She does not believe there is a separation of the "material body and immaterial spirit" but that there is "something else that we haven't discovered yet", and believes "that scientists cannot assume that nothing exists beyond what they can measure". She believes it likely that there is "still something more" to life, beyond what we have discovered, and sees DNA as too complex to have originated through "purely random processes". To her, the complexity of DNA shows "the mark of intervention," and "a much greater mind, a much greater scientist, a much greater engineer behind who we are". She sees her religious beliefs as playing a role in her work in affective computing,cite web| url=http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/digicult/dc980429.htm | title=A Function Specific to Joy|author=Harvey Blume|publisher=The Atlantic Monthly| date=1998-04-29| accessdate=2008-05-05] and explains that when "Digging into the models of how the emotions work, I find I feel even greater awe and appreciation for the way we are made, and therefore for the Maker that has brought this about."cite web|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/digicult/dc980429.htm|title=A Function Specific to Joy|author=Harvey Blume|publisher=The Atlantic Monthly|date=1998-04-29|accessdate=2008-05-05]

Picard is one of the signatories of the Discovery Institute's "A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism", a controversial petition which the intelligent design movement uses to promote intelligent design by attempting to cast doubt on evolution.cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/science/sciencespecial2/21peti.html?ex=1298178000&en=de5bd718715864a0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|title=Few Biologists but Many Evangelicals Sign Anti-Evolution Petition |author=Kenneth Chang |publisher=The New York Times |date=2006-02-21 |accessdate=2008-05-05] Although her view about the complexity of DNA "sounds similar to the intelligent design debate", reporter Mirko Petricevic writes, "Picard has some reservations about intelligent design, saying it isn't being sufficiently challenged by Christians and other people of faith". She argues that the media has created a false dilemma by dividing everyone into two groups, supporters of intelligent design or evolution. "To simply put most of us in one camp or the other does the whole state of knowledge a huge disservice," she said.

Awards

* Georgia Engineering Foundation Fellowship(s) 1980, 81, 82, 83
* Society of Women Engineers: “The Outstanding Woman Engineering Student” 1981, 82, 83, 84
* National Science Foundation Fellow 1984
* AT&T Bell Laboratories “One Year On Campus” Fellow 1984
* Georgia Institute of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty Award 1984
* Voted Omicron Delta Kappa, Georgia Tech and Southeast U. S. “Leader of the Year” 1984
* AAUW “The Outstanding Georgia Institute of Technology Woman Graduate” 1984
* IAPR Pattern Recognition Society Best Paper Prize (with Tom Minka) 1991
* GA Tech College of Engineering “Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni Award” 1995
* NEC Career Development Chair in Computers and Communications 1992, 96
* Assoc. of American Publishers, Inc. Computer Science Book Award, (Hon. Mention) 1997
* Senior Member of IEEE 2000
* ICALT 2001 Best Theory Paper Prize (with Rob Reilly and Barry Kort) 2001
* Creapole’s Committee of Honour (Paris) 2002
* Fellow of IEEE 2004
* Chamblee High School Hall of Fame 2005
* Groden Network Distinguished Honorees, Research Award 2008

Contributions

;Bibliography
* R. W. Picard, Affective Computing, MIT Press, 1997.
* R. W. Picard, F. Liu, R. Zabih, G. Healey, and M. Swain (Eds.) “Content-Based Access of Image and Video Libraries,” "Proceedings of IEEE Workshop", IEEE Computer Society. 1997.
* J. Tao, T. Tan, and R. W. Picard (Eds.), "Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction 2005, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3784, 2005". Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2005.
* A. Paiva, R. Prada, and R. W. Picard (Eds.), "Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction 2007, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 4738", 2007. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2007.

;Notable Articles
* T.P. Minka and R.W. Picard (1997), "Interactive Learning Using a 'Society of Models,'" Pattern Recognition, Volume 30, No. 4, pp. 565-581, 1997. (Winner of 1997 Pattern Recognition Society Award)
* B. Kort, R. Reilly and R.W. Picard (2001), "An Affective Model of Interplay Between Emotions and Learning: Reengineering educational Pedagogy-Building a Learning Companion," In "Proceedings of International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies" (ICALT 2001), August 2001, Madison, WI. (Winner of Best Paper Prize.) [cite web|url=http://affect.media.mit.edu/publications.php|title=Publications in Affective Computing|accessdate=2008-05-05|publisher=MIT]

;Patents/Patents Pending
* “Method and Apparatus for Relating and Combining Multiple Images of the Same Scene or Object(s)” U.S. Patent 5,706,416. Issued January 6, 1998. (With Steve Mann.)
* “Sensing and Display of Skin Conductivity” U.S. Patent 6415176. Issued July 2, 2002. (With Jocelyn Scheirer, Nancy Tilbury and Jonathan Farringdon.)
* “System and Method for Determining a Workload Level of a Driver” (With Walton L. Fehr, Judith L. Gardner and John R. Hansman) Docket No. IS01739AIC

References

ee also

* Affective computing
* Autism
* Digital image processing
* Pattern recognition
* Social robots
* Wearable computers

External links

* [http://affect.media.mit.edu/ Affective Computing Group Web Page]
* [http://ttt.media.mit.edu/ Things That Think Consortium Web Page]
* [http://web.media.mit.edu/~picard/ Rosalind W. Picard Homepage]
* [http://courses.media.mit.edu/2007spring/mas962/ MIT Course on Autism Theory and Technology]