Haiyan Zhang

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Haiyan Zhang
Haiyan Zhang discusses her Japan Geigermap in 2012
Alma materMonash University
Interaction Design Institute Ivrea
EmployerMicrosoft Research
Known forThe Emma Watch
Innovations in Technology Making

Haiyan Zhang is a designer and engineer. She is Director of Innovation at Microsoft Research and Technical Advisor to Lab Director, Christopher Bishop. She appeared on the BBC show "Big Life Fix".

Education[edit]

Zhang was born in China, and migrated to Australia with her parents aged eight.[1] She attended Monash University, where she earned first-class honours for a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1998. Zhang worked for Space-Time Research until 2000, when she left Australia to further her studies in design. Zhang moved to Canada to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Interactive Multimedia at Sheridan College, which she completed in 2003.[2] Whilst there she helped develop a tool for visualising electroencephalography for intra-operative monitoring.[3] She moved to Italy to study at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, where she completed a Masters in Interaction Design.[4]

Career[edit]

Zhang worked as an Interaction Designer for the British Design Council and Stanford University.[1] Zhang joined IDEO as Principal Interaction Designer in 2006.[5] Here she "created new technology experiences for community building, entertainment, financial services". with Mattel, Electronic Arts, HBO, France Telecom, Alcatel, Cisco, and AT&T.[6][7][8] She was a founder of the innovation platform OpenIDEO, which brings together makers around the world to solve challenges for social good. The site has over 150,000 users worldwide.[9]

She joined Microsoft in 2013, working in the Lift London studio on games and wearables.[1] In 2015 she became Innovation Director at Microsoft Research.[1] She is interested in technology for "Connected Play" and wellness.[10] In 2011, Zhang developed an interactive map of radiation levels around Japan, widely used in the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. She was a mapping consultant for Safecast, a volunteer organisation developing geiger counters that can be built simply by non-experts, which are distributed around Fukushima.[11]

Big Life Fix[edit]

The BBC Two show "Big Life Fix" paired technology experts with members of the public who were facing real life challenges. Zhang was one of seven makers.[12] Zhang developed two products, the Emma Watch and Fizzyo. Fizzyo is a toy to encourage children with cystic fibrosis to do their breathing exercises to clear their lungs.[13] It comprises a wireless electronic sensor in the mouthpiece, which sends an electronic signal to control a computer game on a tablet.[13] The Emma Watch is a device for sufferers Parkinson's disease, which looks to reduce limb tremors by disrupting the "feedback loop between the brain and hand".[1][14][15] Microsoft unveiled the device at their annual developer's conference.[16] It was named after Emma Lawton, a graphic designer who Zhang met on the show.[17][18] The invention received significant media coverage.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Zhang regularly delivers public talks and appears on podcasts, where she discusses design and engineering.[26][27][28][29] She is an advocate for increasing the representation of women in technology.[30] She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA) and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).[31][32][33]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "How a watch helped Emma write again". Microsoft News Centre UK. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Alumni News | Alumni | Sheridan College". Sheridan College. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Haiyan Zhang (Australia)". Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. 2003. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Haiyan Zhang". Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Haiyan Zhang | IDEO Labs". labs.ideo.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  6. ^ European Young Innovators Forum (28 September 2012), Interview with Haiyan Zhang, design lead for OpenIDEODEO at EYIF UNCONVENTION 2012, retrieved 25 February 2018
  7. ^ RedMonk Tech Events (15 March 2016), Thingmonk TALK - Haiyan Zhang on Crowdsourced Science at Fukushima, retrieved 25 February 2018
  8. ^ OpenPlanet Ideas (30 May 2011), Haiyan Zhang from IDEO shares her thoughts on realisation, retrieved 25 February 2018
  9. ^ "Haiyan Zhang at Microsoft Research". Microsoft Research. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Microsoft Future Decoded". www.futuredecoded.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  11. ^ Microsoft UK (22 January 2018), Haiyan Zhang - Microsoft Innovation, retrieved 25 February 2018
  12. ^ "Series 1, The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve - Haiyan Zhang - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Physios join Microsoft for ground breaking cystic fibrosis tech project". The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Haiyan Zhang | The Science of Parkinson's disease". scienceofparkinsons.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  15. ^ McGoogan, Cara (11 May 2017). "Microsoft built a watch that calmed woman's Parkinson's tremors". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  16. ^ BBC Stories (7 December 2016), This invention helped me write again - BBC Stories, retrieved 25 February 2018
  17. ^ "A fix for life". Monash University. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Project Emma: Helping reduce hand tremorsfor Parkinson's patients - Microsoft Research". Microsoft Research. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  19. ^ "The invention that helped me write again". BBC News. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  20. ^ "'Project Emma' tremor-reducing watch unveiled by Microsoft CEO". Parkinson's Life. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  21. ^ "Meet the Aussie inventor whose watch reduces Parkinson's tremors". Guide. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  22. ^ "Technologie Du Futur: Haiyan Zhang". Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  23. ^ Thomas, Josh (9 December 2016). "Cambridge inventor helps Parkinson's disease sufferer to write again". cambridgenews. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Microsoft's Project Emma is a wearable that helps with Parkinson's tremors". The Verge. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  25. ^ "Microsoft shows off Parkinson's wearable during keynote at Build 2017". Digital Trends. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  26. ^ "Haiyan Zhang's keynote – Interaction 18 – 3—8 February 2018 • Lyon, France". Interaction 18. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  27. ^ "Health Wearables with Haiyan Zhang". Software Engineering Daily. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Haiyan Zhang: Design for Good". Royal College of Art. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  29. ^ "#MakerMonday with Haiyan Zhang". HereEast. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  30. ^ "Haiyan Zhang, innovation Director, Microsoft Research". Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  31. ^ "New Members in 2017". www.bafta.org. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  32. ^ RSA. "Engage with our research - RSA". www.thersa.org. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  33. ^ RSA. "Find a Fellow - RSA". www.thersa.org. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
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