Peter Robinson (computer scientist)

Robinson worked on computer-aided design systems for integrated circuits in the 1980s, undertaking the physical design of the video processor for early BBC computers as a case study.^[2] He continued with work on self-timed (asynchronous) circuits^[3][4][5][6] and his students Paul Cunningham and Steev Wilcox started Azuro to exploit the ideas in designing low power integrated circuits.

The Rank Xerox Research Centre in Cambridge sponsored several of Robinson's research students in the 1990s to work on video cameras and projection as part of the user interface including Pierre Wellner's DigitalDesk, an early tabletop display featuring tangible interaction and augmented reality^[7] and Quentin Stafford-Fraser's work leading to the webcam.^[8] Further work investigated augmenting paper documents^[9] and high-resolution interactive tabletop displays^[10] leading to the commercial nuVa system developed by Thales.^[11]

More recently, Robinson has led a team working on affective computing.^[12] This has included inference of mental states from facial expressions^[13][14] non-verbal speech^[15] and gestures^[16][17] together with the expression of emotions by robots and cartoon avatars.^[18][19] His YouTube video on The emotional computer^[20] has resulted in regular television and radio appearances^{[21][22][23][24]} and his student Rana el Kaliouby founded Affectiva with Rosalind Picard to exploit the ideas commercially.^[25]

Robinson has supervised over thirty research students for PhDs.^[26]

• Peter Robinson's home page at the Computer Laboratory
• Computer Laboratory
• web page at Gonville and Caius College
• Gonville and Caius College