George Yu

TEDxPeachtree 2013 presenter Dr. George Yu is founder and CEO of Variable, Inc. and inventor of the NODE wireless sensor platform for smart devices. This is Dr. Yu’s first time presenting at a TEDx event and we offer him a warm welcome. Dr. Yu is an example of the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit embodied by the TED aesthetic. His latest invention demonstrates the theme of this year’s conference as it has the potential to act as a catalyst for change across a number of different fields.

There have been two major events that acted as catalysts for change in Yu’s life. His parents’ immigration from China to Texas when he was 12 was an eye opening experience for him. Coming to the United States changed the course of his young life and forever altered his destiny. Learning how to adapt to his new surroundings only enhanced the qualities that define who he is today – curious, imaginative, and persistent.

As a child, he was always curious about the world around him. Wondering how the things around him work and what makes them tick; he took apart every toy his parents ever gave him. He felt a need to understand and turn the intangible qualities that he observed around him into measurable quantities. Attending Georgia Tech was the second major catalyst in his life. There he earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and learned the tools that would allow him to invent the NODE, recognized by CNN Money as the “coolest gizmo” at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Trade Show, CES.

The NODE records the world around it, allowing the user to analyze temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, ambient light, color and carbon monoxide by adding sensors to a three-inch tube. Its reading are displayed wirelessly via Bluetooth to an iPad or iPhone. Users can take various scans by changing out the sensors. Yu compares the device’s modular nature to a Swiss army knife as the practical applications are endless. The temperature, moisture, and carbon monoxide sensors could be used in building inspections to identify drafty windows or leaking pipes, by the home gardener to measure the moisture and humidity in their greenhouse, or by nature lovers wanting to check the weather before taking off on a hike. Worried parents are able to sense and record if they’re child has a fever and the color sensor could lessen trips to the hardware store for the average DIYer by helping to match paint colors. Sensors to measure radiation are under development.

Be sure to purchase your tickets to TEDxPeachtree today to see Dr. Yu give a live demonstration of the NODE on November 8 at the Buckhead Theatre and ask yourself–“What will I measure today?”

Lauren Lynn is a new arrival to Atlanta. She moved from Charleston, SC where she worked in arts management. Lauren lives in Lake Claire and enjoys exploring the neighborhood parks with her dog and children.