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Microsoft Research Podcast
Collaborators: Renewable energy storage with Bichlien Nguyen and David Kwabi
Dr. Bichlien Nguyen and Dr. David Kwabi explore their work in flow batteries and how machine learning can help more effectively search the vast organic chemistry space to identify compounds with properties just right for storing waterpower and other renewables.
On the foundations front, a stunning set of experiments (opens in new tab) provided evidence for an elusive particle named the Majorana fermion. A team at the Delft University of Technology, led by Leo Kouwenhoven, used an experimental setup proposed and funded by our Station Q (opens in new tab). Majoranas have been proposed as central in enabling an approach to quantum computing being pursued at Station Q.
Moving from quantum computing to the more familiar world of Turing and von Neumann, Flat Datacenter Storage won the MinuteSort record (opens in new tab) hands-down. Stunning advances in real-world program synthesis for end users were revealed via a feature in Excel (opens in new tab) named FlashFill (opens in new tab), heralded by CNN Money as “Excel 2013’s coolest new feature.” Moving beyond the excitement of a feature in Office (opens in new tab), the work reveals only a glimmer of a visionary path forward for achieving “programming by demonstration.” In the realm of enterprises and data centers, efforts led to the fielding of Windows Server 2012 (opens in new tab) Primary Data Dedup (opens in new tab) and Hekaton (opens in new tab) for SQL Server (opens in new tab). A new approach to erasure coding called Local Reconstruction Codes (opens in new tab) won a best-paper award and went into production for Windows Azure (opens in new tab), significantly reducing storage costs. New platforms developed at our lab for performing machine learning and fielding predictive models matured into tools now used across Microsoft. And code-verification tools from our Research in Software Engineering (opens in new tab) teams continued to see use throughout Microsoft, including application in verifying the ARM code in Windows RT (opens in new tab).
Tentacles of innovation from Microsoft Research Redmond reached into multiple user experiences, with some recent advances now in the hands of consumers. For example, designs for sensing orientation from Microsoft Research enabled the Forza Horizon Wireless Speed Wheel (opens in new tab) for Xbox (opens in new tab). Predictive methods for assisting with text input called Word Flow (opens in new tab) have been incorporated into Windows Phone 8 (opens in new tab). Numerous other developments explored new directions in computing, from compelling to exotic, including efforts in the Humantenna (opens in new tab) project, the debut of the Printing Dress (opens in new tab) during CES and SXSW, and the release of Cliplets (opens in new tab). Many visionary prototypes were developed, including Illumishare (opens in new tab) and Holoflector (opens in new tab).
(opens in new tab)Numerous projects addressed societal, health, and environmental challenges. As an example, MT Hub (opens in new tab), a collaborative effort from our Microsoft Research Connections (opens in new tab) team, provides a crowdsourced approach to translation, with the ability to capture and preserve rare languages such as Hmong Daw and Mayan tongues. Predictive models for challenging patient outcomes (opens in new tab) developed by Microsoft Research were deployed in hospitals throughout the world via Caradigm (opens in new tab), a joint venture in health-care computing between Microsoft and GE Healthcare, created with guidance from Microsoft Research.
Outreach, collaboration with colleagues, and sharing continued on multiple fronts. In one development, Microsoft Research’s release of the source code for the Z3 (opens in new tab) automated theorem prover was greeted with great enthusiasm by the computing community. Researchers across Microsoft Research labs continued intensive engagements in organizing conferences and workshops, as well as with dedicated service with panels and committees for NGOs and government agencies. As an example, Peter Lee (opens in new tab) of Microsoft Research Redmond co-authored the 2012 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology review of Federal investments in networking and IT research (opens in new tab), which included an effort on updating the “tire tracks” visualization (opens in new tab) of the influence of computer-science research on industry and society. Multiple awards and citations celebrated the long-term contributions by Microsoft researchers and engineers, and the lab received numerous best-paper awards and two test-of-time awards for contributions that shine from a 10-year perspective.
On another front, we worked to add new sparkle to our physical surroundings, lighting up the atrium in Building 99 with artistry and technology. Our gallery team created a persistent art space in our lobby featuring the creative talents of people at Microsoft Research. And several prototypes harnessing machine perception and learning were deployed into operational service within the building.
(opens in new tab)It was a great year for recruiting top computer-science talent at Microsoft Research Redmond and, more broadly, at Microsoft. New hires included strong talent in the algorithms and systems areas. In a collaborative effort, the Redmond lab worked closely with its sister labs to found Microsoft Research New York City (opens in new tab), attracting key new talent to Microsoft Research at a new hub of activity in a bustling city.
At the end of 2012, we had a change in leadership at the Redmond lab. After two years of inspirational service as lab director, Peter Lee moved into a new role as head of Microsoft Research USA, overseeing the U.S. labs. Deputy managing directors Eric Horvitz (opens in new tab) and Yi-Min Wang (opens in new tab) were asked to serve as managing co-directors of Microsoft Research Redmond.
Looking forward to 2013, we see strong innovation continuing on a portfolio of research (opens in new tab) efforts aimed at achieving results along a spectrum of time horizons. We’ve talked about Kinect (opens in new tab) as an example of the flow of ideas from long-term, open research and mission-focused goals coming together to create magic. Another example is the cross-lab collaboration on a rich synthesis of efforts in machine learning, speech recognition, machine translation, and text-to-speech that enabled the awe-inspiring demonstration of speech-to-speech translation (opens in new tab) in Tianjin, China in October—with Rick Rashid (opens in new tab), Microsoft chief research officer, speaking in English and the audience hearing his words almost flawlessly translated in his own voice into Mandarin. We’ll continue to embrace a diversity of approaches to ideas and innovation as a strategy for advancing the frontiers of computer science and for enhancing Microsoft’s products and services. We know that 2013 will be even more exciting, and we can’t wait to see where things head!