What would an "intelligent" picture on the wall do? What if it could see and hear you? What should it say if it could talk? What if your pantry, wardrobe or medicine cabinet could sense, think and act? What should they do and say? What should your cell phone be saying to you? These are not whimsical or theoretical questions...they inevitably arise as ordinary everyday objects around us acquire the ability to sense changes in their environment, think about their implications, and act in pursuit of their goals. These objects are connected to the web and become conduits for services, erasing the distinction between products and services. The ability to invent and build smart products/services is becoming a key skill in the new technology-driven services economy. The focus of the course will be on building "ordinary" objects that can sense, think and act in the real world and on exploring the implications of these capabilities. Students will select their own project and by the end of the semester will create a working prototype that will be exhibited in a public place. Prizes will be offered for the most creative projects. In the course of their projects, students will learn how to use state-of-the-art tools for: Object detection using video cameras, microphones and other sensors Movement and gesture detection Speech recognition and generation Reasoning and planning: While the course organizers have many ideas for specific projects, students will be encouraged to design their own projects. Students are expected to work in small groups on their own time and receive faculty advice as needed. There will be weekly meetings of the whole class.