Apple hires Google X lab cofounder, former Nest head of technology to work on health projects

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited May 2016
Apple recently expanded its health technology team in a big way with the hire of Yoky Matsuoka, a robotics expert who co-founded Google's experimental X labs and most recently served as head of technology at Nest.




According to Fortune, Matsuoka is working on health initiatives under Apple COO Jeff Williams, who leads a variety of groups handling HealthKit, ResearchKit and the new CareKit app building framework, among other projects.

Matsuoka, originally from Japan, attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she became interested in robotics. After receiving a PhD in electrical engineering from MIT, Matsuoka worked at Barrett Technology, where she developed software for the groundbreaking BarrettHand prosthetic. Her research and contributions to the fields of neuroscience and robotics -- "neurobotics" -- garnered multiple awards, including a 2007 grant from the prestigious MacArthur Foundation.

She later spent time teaching robotics at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington in Seattle. Coincidentally, Matt Rogers, a former Apple engineer who co-founded Nest with "godfather of the iPod" Tony Fadell, was one of Matsuoka's students at Carnegie Mellon.

Following her stint at UW, Matsuoka moved to Google in 2009 to help build out that company's X research and development facility. In 2010, Matsuoka joined Rogers at Nest as head of technology, where she created the user interface and learning algorithms for the Nest Learning Thermostat. She announced her departure from Nest shortly after Google acquired the company in 2014.

Most recently, Matsuoka said she was joining Twitter, but an illness sidetracked those plans.

It is unclear what, exactly, the robotics expert will be doing at Apple, though the company currently has a number of health-related initiatives in the works. Technology derived from those projects has for the most part been limited to Apple Watch, specifically Apple's heart rate monitor.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    antonpabloantonpablo Posts: 90member
    These..
    quadra 610cyberzombielolliver
  • Reply 2 of 28
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Would have been exciting news... 4 years ago.
  • Reply 3 of 28
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Apple Bot... we're waiting.
  • Reply 4 of 28
    calicali Posts: 3,494member


    You can bet she wasn't allowed enough creative input. Going from GoogX to Nest, REALLY? And nothing has gotten done?

    I would have went to Apple too. You know, where stuff is actually happening.
    edited May 2016 patchythepirate
  • Reply 5 of 28
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    Quite the job-hopping resume.
  • Reply 6 of 28
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Tim: "OK, now... Tell me exactly what Eric Schmidt knew and when he knew it."
    fotoformatRayz2016pscooter63cali
  • Reply 7 of 28
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    bobschlob said:
    Would have been exciting news... 4 years ago.
    Why do you say it's not a good hire now? Seems like she has an impressive resume. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised these days that any Apple news is immediately met with negativity.
    edited May 2016 lolliverpalomine
  • Reply 8 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Apple health milestones.

    One of the important inventions of my lifetime will be a reliable and accurate non-invasive blood sugar monitor in a consumer product like Apple Watch. If Apple manages in the next 8 years to pull this off it'll be enough reason for the company to have existed. That and a non-invasive hydration sensor that is capable of sending you a local push notification to drink some water before you are aware you need some. This would be quite useful too I could imagine.

    Most especially the blood sugar monitor though, it would make Apple Watch basically indispensable for diabetics everywhere—I could see many doctors recommended their patients get one. For medical use it'd be shockingly cheap for what it is and most surprisingly this revolutionary medical device would be fashionable.
    edited May 2016 jakebbestkeptsecretlolliverthepixeldocpalominecali
  • Reply 9 of 28
    applesauce007applesauce007 Posts: 1,698member
    cali said:


    You can bet she wasn't allowed enough creative input. Going from GoogX to Nest, REALLY? And nothing has gotten done?

    I would have went to Apple too. You know, where stuff is actually happening.
    Aww man.  That's cold.  LOL

    Seriously I think Nest will close down soon because it is considered to be a $3 Billion joke by other Googlers.

    Time will tell.

    cali
  • Reply 10 of 28
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    applesauce007 said:
    cali said:


    You can bet she wasn't allowed enough creative input. Going from GoogX to Nest, REALLY? And nothing has gotten done?

    I would have went to Apple too. You know, where stuff is actually happening.
    Aww man.  That's cold.  LOL

    Seriously I think Nest will close down soon because it is considered to be a $3 Billion joke by other Googlers.

    Time will tell.

    Plus Google just hired the former Motorola CEO to run a hardware division inside Google which will include Google Glass and the Amazon Echo competitor they're working on. That doesn't really suggest a lot of confidence in Tony Fadell. There's no reason Nest couldn't be folded into this unit.
    cali
  • Reply 11 of 28
    focherfocher Posts: 687member
    What a waste. Everyone - apparently - knows that Apple can't innovate anymore. They have yet to explain any new things that they're working on, so it totally makes sense that they must be working on nothing. And I'm sure she was only hired to add more female executives to Apple. I mean, there's nothing at all in her background that she's super smart and accomplished.

    ....

    Just feeling sarcastic today.
    tmaylatifbpcali
  • Reply 12 of 28
    jakebjakeb Posts: 562member
    Apple is apparently playing a VERY long game when it comes to health. They're clearly building towards something and I honestly don't know what it is. But healthkit, carekit, all the people working on sensors, the whole fitness lab (which clearly is for more than testing just heartrate), now this new hire. It's fascinating to see the groundwork being laid for... what, I have no idea. 

    But I do appreciate that they've got plans. 
    lolliverpalominecali
  • Reply 13 of 28
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    ireland said:
    Apple health milestones.

    One of the important inventions of my lifetime will be a reliable and accurate non-invasive blood sugar monitor in a consumer product like Apple Watch. If Apple manages in the next 8 years to pull this off it'll be enough reason for the company to have existed. That and a non-invasive hydration sensor that is capable of sending you a local push notification to drink some water before you are aware you need some. This would be quite useful too I could imagine.

    Most especially the blood sugar monitor though, it would make Apple Watch basically indispensable for diabetics everywhere—I could see many doctors recommended their patients get one. For medical use it'd be shockingly cheap for what it is and most surprisingly this revolutionary medical device would be fashionable.
    You don't think other companies in the health care sector are trying to come up with something like that? And if it could already be done it would have happened? 
  • Reply 14 of 28
    christopher126christopher126 Posts: 4,366member
    rogifan_new said:
    bobschlob said:
    Would have been exciting news... 4 years ago.
    Why do you say it's not a good hire now? Seems like she has an impressive resume. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised these days that any Apple news is immediately met with negativity.
    Agreed, Bro. AI is full of negative thoughts...she seems to be very bright, hardworking, etc. Sounds perfect for Apple. :)

    lolliver
  • Reply 15 of 28
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    sog35 said:
    Pretty obvious what this is about.

    They are going to build robots to build iPhones instead of China people.
    'China people'?
    lolliver
  • Reply 16 of 28
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    evilution said:
    Ironic. Getting an Asian to design robots to make Apple products so Apple don't have to pay Asians to make them.
    Hooookaaaayyyyy. 
  • Reply 17 of 28
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member
    sirlance99 said:
    ireland said:
    Apple health milestones.

    One of the important inventions of my lifetime will be a reliable and accurate non-invasive blood sugar monitor in a consumer product like Apple Watch. If Apple manages in the next 8 years to pull this off it'll be enough reason for the company to have existed. That and a non-invasive hydration sensor that is capable of sending you a local push notification to drink some water before you are aware you need some. This would be quite useful too I could imagine.

    Most especially the blood sugar monitor though, it would make Apple Watch basically indispensable for diabetics everywhere—I could see many doctors recommended their patients get one. For medical use it'd be shockingly cheap for what it is and most surprisingly this revolutionary medical device would be fashionable.
    You don't think other companies in the health care sector are trying to come up with something like that? And if it could already be done it would have happened? 


    Where does @Ireland say only Apple is working on it? He made a very nice post where he talked about what he felt could be the Apple Watch's legacy. He never said anything about no one else doing it.

    You're Apple/ Apple fans hatred just makes you look for things that aren't there.

    lollivercalipatchythepirate
  • Reply 18 of 28
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member
    evilution said:
    Ironic. Getting an Asian to design robots to make Apple products so Apple don't have to pay Asians to make them.

    What's ironic is that you call an American an Asian...
    lollivercali
  • Reply 19 of 28
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,211member
    ireland said:
    Apple health milestones.

    One of the important inventions of my lifetime will be a reliable and accurate non-invasive blood sugar monitor in a consumer product like Apple Watch. If Apple manages in the next 8 years to pull this off it'll be enough reason for the company to have existed. That and a non-invasive hydration sensor that is capable of sending you a local push notification to drink some water before you are aware you need some. This would be quite useful too I could imagine.

    Most especially the blood sugar monitor though, it would make Apple Watch basically indispensable for diabetics everywhere—I could see many doctors recommended their patients get one. For medical use it'd be shockingly cheap for what it is and most surprisingly this revolutionary medical device would be fashionable.
    You don't think other companies in the health care sector are trying to come up with something like that? And if it could already be done it would have happened? 


    Where does @Ireland say only Apple is working on it? He made a very nice post where he talked about what he felt could be the Apple Watch's legacy. He never said anything about no one else doing it.

    You're Apple/ Apple fans hatred just makes you look for things that aren't there.

    Spot on. It's such an obvious use-case there's likely hundreds of companies from big techs to start-ups working on it. 
    http://infravitals.com/

    Fed approval will be the biggest holdup, not the technology that makes it possible. 
  • Reply 20 of 28
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    gatorguy said:


    Where does @Ireland say only Apple is working on it? He made a very nice post where he talked about what he felt could be the Apple Watch's legacy. He never said anything about no one else doing it.

    You're Apple/ Apple fans hatred just makes you look for things that aren't there.

    Spot on. It's such an obvious use-case there's likely hundreds of companies from big techs to start-ups working on it. 
    http://infravitals.com/

    Fed approval will be the biggest holdup, not the technology that makes it possible. 
    That you.  Not sure where else I can go to get better links to so called Apple competitors than your posts.  Keep up the effort, it's like finding the plastic soldier in the cereal box as a kid , reading your posts. ;)
    palomine
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