Yoky Matsuoka
{{short description|Japanese computer scientist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Yoky Matsuoka
| native_name = 松岡陽子
| native_name_lang = Japanese
| image = Yoky Matsuoka.jpg
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| alt = Photo of Yoky Matsuoka
| caption = Matsuoka in 2011
| birth_date = c. 1972
| birth_place = Japan
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| fields = Computer science
| workplaces = University of Washington;
Carnegie Mellon University;
Barrett Technology;
Google Nest
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| alma_mater = University of California, Berkeley
MIT
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| awards = MacArthur Fellows Program
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Yoky Matsuoka (松岡陽子 Matsuoka Yōko, born c. 1972 in Japan) is the CEO and Founder of Yohana (an independent subsidiary of Panasonic).{{Cite web|last=Pasricha|first=Akash|date=September 9, 2021|title=Former UW professor who founded Google X and is mother of four unveils personal assistant app for moms in Seattle|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/former-uw-professor-who-founded-google-x-and-is-mother-of-four-unveils-personal-assistant-app-for-moms-in-seattle/|access-date=September 9, 2021|website=seattletimes.com}} She was the CTO of Google Nest, a co-founder of Google X and previously held roles as VP of Technology and Analytics at Twitter, technology executive at Apple, and as VP of Technology at Nest.{{cite web|title=18 artificial intelligence researchers reveal the profound changes coming to our lives|url=http://www.techinsider.io/researchers-predictions-future-artificial-intelligence-2015-10|publisher=Business Insider|date=26 Oct 2015}}{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/10-women-to-watch-in-2016_b_9141830 |title=10 Women in Tech to Watch in 2016 |date=2 February 2016 |publisher=HuffPost}}{{cite web|title=Apple Nabs Nest's Former Head of Technology|url=http://fortune.com/2016/05/03/apple-hires-nest-yoky-matsuoka/|publisher=Fortune|date=3 May 2016}}{{cite web|title=Robotics and Machine Learning Expert Yoky Matsuoka Returning to Nest After Leaving Apple|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2017/01/24/yoky-matsuoka-nest-leaving-apple/|publisher=MacRumors|date=24 Jan 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.gv.com/team/yoky-matsuoka/ |title=Google Ventures Adviser - Yoky Matsuoka |access-date=10 July 2019 |publisher=Google Ventures |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710223427/https://www.gv.com/team/yoky-matsuoka/ |archive-date=July 10, 2019 |url-status=dead }}
Previously, she was an assistant professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University and an associate professor of computer science at the University of Washington, director of Washington's Neurobotics Laboratory, director of the [http://csne.washington.edu Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering].
She is a 2007 MacArthur Fellow. At University of Washington, her research combined neuroscience and robotics—sometimes referred to by Matsuoka by the portmanteau neurobotics—to create more realistic prosthetics.{{cite web|last=Hickey|first=Hannah|title=UW computer engineer wins MacArthur Foundation 'genius' award|url=http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=36725|work=September 24, 2007|publisher=University of Washington Office of News and Information|access-date=December 5, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128144750/http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=36725|archive-date=November 28, 2007|url-status=dead}}
Early life and education
Matsuoka was born in Japan and moved to California at the age of 16.Neil Degrasse Tyson, [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/yoky-matsuoka.html Profile: Yoky Matsuoka], PBS, July 16, 2008. Accessed online August 4, 2012.
In her youth, she was a semi-professional tennis player, once ranking 21st in Japan,Sandi Doughton and Kyung M. Song, [http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/2-local-researchers-win-500000-macarthur-genius-awards/ 2 local researchers win $500,000 MacArthur "genius awards"], Seattle Times, September 24, 2007. Accessed online December 5, 2007. but was eventually sidelined by injuries (she broke her ankle for the third time); her interest in robotics began with the idea of a robotic tennis player, which she later decided was unrealistic.Eric Wagner, [http://www.nwasianweekly.com/200726045/yoky20072645.htm MacArthur Foundation gives local researcher a hand] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206155604/http://www.nwasianweekly.com/200726045/yoky20072645.htm |date=February 6, 2008 }}, Northwest Asian Weekly, November 3, 2007. Accessed online December 5, 2007.
She received her B.S. degree in 1993 from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. (1995) and PhD (1998) in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT.
Career
Outside academia, she was chief engineer at Barrett Technology in 1995 and 1996 where she developed the microcode for the BarrettHand. From 2001 to 2006, Yoky was an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University. During this time, she held the Anna Loomis McCandless Faculty Chair (from 2004),[http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/yoky/ Yoky Matsuoka] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428193021/http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/yoky/ |date=April 28, 2012 }}, official page at the University of Washington. Accessed online December 5, 2007. received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2004) and an IEEE Early Career Award in Robotics and Automation (2005), and was nominated for the MacArthur Fellowship (2006), winning and joining the class of 2007. She continued her career at the University of Washington as an associate professor, and is currently working for Apple on wellness related products.{{cite web|last1=Statt|first1=Nick|title=Apple hires former Nest technology chief Yoky Matsuoka|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/3/11584166/apple-hires-yoky-matsuoka-health-projects-nest-google-x|website=The Verge|access-date=4 May 2016|date=May 3, 2016}}
Research
Matthew O'Donnell, dean of the Washington College of Engineering characterizes her as "a mechanical engineer, neuroscientist, bioengineer, robotics expert and computer scientist, all in one… [with] …the ability to see what is possible by combining all these disciplines." The MacArthur Foundation characterizes her work as "transforming our understanding of how the central nervous system coordinates musculoskeletal action and of how robotic technology can enhance the mobility of people with manipulation disabilities.[http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2913825/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7B855A99DE-8277-4E4A-BCC2-10BDCEC1F969 Yoky Matsuoka] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512232429/http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2913825/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7B855A99DE-8277-4E4A-BCC2-10BDCEC1F969 |date=May 12, 2008 }}, MacArthur Foundation. Accessed online December 5, 2007.
Industry
In 2011, she joined Google X as one of its three founding members. There she helped on-boarding Babak Parviz (who led the Google Glass team) and developed Google X's portfolio in medical space. She then joined Nest as VP of Technology, in charge of machine learning and UX. There she led the development of the adaptive component of the Nest Thermostat, which is a key component of the product to date. Currently, she is an advisor to [http://brainofthings.com Brain of Things], that provides a home that learns. In 2015 she left for Apple and worked there until Dec 2016 on Apple's HealthKit tracking software, the CareKit tool for managing patient medical care, and the ResearchKit framework.{{cite web|title=A Key Apple Health Technology Executive Has Left the Company|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-02/key-apple-health-technology-executive-said-to-depart-company|publisher=Bloomberg|date=2 Dec 2016}} She was the Chief Technology Officer at Nest until they were acquired by Google. Currently, she is the founder and CEO of Yo Labs.
Personal life
She is married to a computer vision specialist and has four children.
Notes
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External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120428193021/http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/yoky/ Official page] at the University of Washington
- Microsoft Research, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071006215923/http://www.researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?rID=4314 Understanding Human Movements to Enhance HCI Environments], Research Channel, September 29, 2005, 1:18:20 video about Matsuoka
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071010024422/http://www.ri.cmu.edu/labs/lab_58.html#description Neurobotics Laboratory], archived site of her Neurobiotics Laboratory at CMU.
- [http://neurobotics.cs.washington.edu/ UW Neurobotics Laboratory], archived site for UW Neurobotics Laboratory
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100717080510/http://neuralengineering.washington.edu/ Neuralengineering Center], nascent Pacific Northwest research collaboration center
- [http://www.macfound.org/fellows/832/ Yoky Matsuoka] on the site of the MacArthur Foundation.
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Category:American academics of Japanese descent
Category:American scientists of Asian descent
Category:American electrical engineers
Category:American women computer scientists
Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni
Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni
Category:University of Washington faculty
Category:Japanese emigrants to the United States
Category:Carnegie Mellon University faculty
Category:Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers