Microsoft keynoter to DesignCon attendees: 'Believe!'

Microsoft’s Ilan Spillinger will kick off day two of DesignCon with an exciting keynote address that challenges the audience to harness the power to "believe" as the basis of their design work. The keynote on Tuesday, January 31 from noon to 12:30 will focus on the innovation of Xbox through Kinect, drawing on his own personal experiences and his own formula for fostering an environment of creativity. 

“With Kinect, it’s was all about the ability to believe. It was taking the raw technologies in their early stages, building demos, and creating something that no one ever shipped before, something that on paper costs a lot, and is clearly not just a consumer-electronic device. How do you pick technology and put soul into it? How can you effectively work closely with content developers, the creators, to formulate a compelling story about why this technology brings new experiences to the market?”

The topics in the keynote, Spillinger explained to me in a pre-show interview, represent his story. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2008, Dr. Spillinger was the design manager for the processor for the Xbox 360.  In his current role, he manages Silicon design and all Architecture activities for Xbox 360 and Kinect.

Just as Kinect was a game changer for gaming and entertainment, Spillinger sees the promise of a bunch of sensors that will interact with future devices inside and outside of a living room environment.  Believing will continue to be necessary to further develop the technology and integrate it into a myriad of other scenarios, harnessing such elements as voice recognition and gesture technology to deliver a host of new devices.

When asked what design engineers can prepare for this interactive explosion, Spillinger quickly responded. “Go with something that seems thrilling to you. I believe that to try and fail is okay, not to try is the failure. Try to be in an environment that knows how to recognize and reward you even if your project initially fails. That’s what pushed me forward. It’s about being passionate, engaged, and having a belief in what you are doing. Then, don’t count the hours. Don’t count anything. Just enjoy what you do.”

Spillinger will discuss several aspects of how to bring new levels of interactivity to life, such as the process of DFx, designing for such activities as manufacturability, assembly, low power, designed for test, reliability, and quality, literally all of those simultaneously, that it takes to bring a great idea to market, explained Spillinger.

Looking at upcoming challenges, Spillinger mentioned seeing how Moore’s law continues to work. Given such important shifts in the industry as the move from higher frequency to lower power, Spillinger expects similar challenges in the future.  To handle such transitions, he advises that engineers be ready to accept changes and expect that they will occur. “The criteria, the tools, and the technology will change so fast and be so different that you will need to be both receptive and flexible.”

If you appreciate enthusiasm, a great pulse on what is happening in sensors and design today, and real engineer-to-engineer advice, this is one you won’t want to miss. For a passionate and fascinating keynote, join Ilan Spillinger, CVP Hardware and Technology, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft. Still need to register? It’s easy, Click here.