Microsoft Research: 15 Years Old and Still Kicking

As Microsoft Research celebrates its 15th anniversary this month, Rick Rashid, senior vice president of research, says he hopes that 15 years from now there will still be the same vibrant environment that exists today. “If we can do this for the next 15 years, the sky is the limit. I get surprised every morning by the research that is taking place,” he said at an event at the Redmond, Wash., campus Sept. 26. For his part, Chairman Bill Gates says that, having developed innovative technologies for millions of people, Microsoft Research will continue to play a central role in defining the future of technology for many years to come. Researchers also demonstrated a number of cutting-edge technologies that are under development, including a transparent display that uses computer vision, technology that brings real-world aspects back into computing and the use of spatial memory to navigate source code.