Longer term, Estrin sees a need for networking innovation in the area of embedded sensors. The reason is simple: As computers become ubiquitous in almost every space imaginable--from cars to handheld music devices to household appliances and beyond--they're going to need to communicate.
"Technologies like RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] are just the beginning," says Estrin. "That type of networking will take a whole new architecture to support low-power devices with lots of communication. I think you'll see that come out of academia in about five years or so."
Estrin is confident about one thing: "There will always be innovators, futurists, and people who figure out how to make things happen." However, they may not be overnight successes, she cautions.
"There will be a need to focus on incremental innovation," she says. "Innovation will still happen--just at a slower pace."
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