Ed Cutrell
Sr. Principal Research Manager
About
Ed Cutrell is a Sr. Principal Research Manager at Microsoft Research where he manages the MSR Ability (opens in new tab) group, exploring computing for disability, accessibility and inclusive design. He also holds an appointment as Affiliate Professor in the Information School (opens in new tab) at the University of Washington. He received his BA in Psychology and Cognitive Science from Rice University in 1992 and went on to study Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Oregon where he received his PhD in 1999. He has been working in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) since 2000.
Over the years, he has worked on a broad range of HCI topics with a special interest in interdisciplinary work. Research topics have included input technologies, visual perception and graphics, intelligent notifications and disruptions, and interfaces for search and personal information management. From 2010-2016, he managed the Technology for Empowerment (opens in new tab) group (TEM) in Microsoft Research India (opens in new tab), focusing on technologies and systems useful for people living in underserved rural and urban communities. After returning to the US in 2016, his research now focuses on inclusive design, exploring how computing can be used to extend and enhance the capabilities of people with disabilities around the world.
A more comprehensive view of his research and publications is available on his site at http://cutrell.org (opens in new tab).
Featured content
Using AI, people who are blind are able to find familiar faces in a room
Microsoft innovation story, spotlighting Project Tokyo, a system for helping people who are blind to better monitor the locations of people in the space around them.
Inclusive design for all, or ICT4D and 4U! with Dr. Ed Cutrell
Episode 88, September 4, 2019 - Dr. Ed Cutrell is a Principal Researcher in the Ability group at Microsoft Research and he’s convinced that great technology should be available to everyone. Working in the fields of Accessibility and Information and Communication Technologies for Development (aka ICT4D), his research has explored computing solutions for people across the resource and ability spectrum, both here and around the world. Today, Dr. Cutrell gives us an overview of his work in the disability and inclusive design space, explains the vital importance of interdisciplinarity – a fancy way of saying many ways of thinking and many ways of knowing – and tells us how a dumb phone beat a smart tablet in rural India… and what that meant to researchers.
Bringing virtual reality to people who are blind with an immersive sensory-based system
Blog post describing research presented at the CHI2020 conference on a new VR controller and experience to allow people who are blind to navigate complex virtual worlds.