CSE590N1: Nature-Integrated Computing
Description: In recent years, growing concerns about sustainability and the climate crisis have led to a surge in interest in innovative technologies. This includes the exploration of living materials, ultra-low power computing, and synthetic biology-based approaches. Engineers are focusing on developing solutions that are not only high performance, but are also biodegradable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective in terms of materials. Concurrently, designers are delving into new concepts such as posthuman or more-than-human design, with the aim of conceptualizing technologies that encourage cohabitation and interconnectedness with various species. Here, we consider nature-integrated computing to refer to technology that extends beyond environmental remediation or species conservation. It’s about devising technology that integrates seamlessly with, or even harnesses, natural processes. This can involve leveraging the remarkable capabilities evolved in nature for technological advancements. The objective is to sustain or enhance our living standards, while fostering a symbiotic relationship with nature and other species in a way that positively impacts the global ecosystem. This reading and project-based seminar aims to explore emerging themes in this space, as reflected in fields as disparate as HCI, AI/ML, computer vision, materials science, EE, and synthetic biology. We will engage with the broader global challenges being addressed, how practitioners from various fields have framed these challenges, and look at specific solutions and works in the space.
Prerequisities: (none listed) Credits: 1.0 to 3.0Portions of the CSE590N1 web may be reprinted or adapted for academic nonprofit purposes, providing the source is accurately quoted and duly credited. The CSE590N1 Web: © 1993-2024, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington. Administrative information on CSE590N1 (authentication required).