The Connection Machine, a massively parallel computer containing 64,000 processor cores, serves as the cornerstone of William Daniel Hillis’s contributions to modern computing. Developed during his doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this architecture challenged traditional serial processing paradigms and established a foundation for high-performance data applications ranging from oil exploration to early data mining.
Academic Foundation at MIT
Born in 1956 in Baltimore, Hillis pursued his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor of science in mathematics in 1978. Under the guidance of Seymour Papert at the MIT Logo Laboratory, he developed hardware and software for elementary education. His early interest in unconventional computing included the creation of a computer constructed entirely from Tinkertoys. Advised by Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, and Gerald Sussman, he finalized his PhD in 1988, having already received the 1985 Association for Computing Machinery Doctoral Dissertation award for his parallel architecture research.
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To commercialize his research, Hillis co-founded Thinking Machines Corporation. The firm produced the Connection Machine, which utilized thousands of parallel processors to handle demanding computational tasks. The company attracted notable contributors such as Richard Feynman, Sydney Brenner, and Brewster Kahle. These systems supported research across diverse institutions, including NASA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Harvard University, and the University of Tokyo, while also facilitating pioneering data mining work for American Express.
Disney and Applied Minds
In 1996, Hillis accepted a role as vice president of Research and Development and Disney Fellow at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he focused on theme park technology and consumer products. By 2000, he co-founded the R&D firm Applied Minds with Bran Ferren. The group developed varied technologies, including the Sun Modular Datacenter, a portable computing facility housed in a shipping container. His tenure here also produced the Babble audio privacy system for Herman Miller and fundamental patents for pinch-to-zoom touchscreen interfaces.
Semantic Data and Modern Patents
Hillis co-founded Metaweb Technologies in 2005 to develop Freebase, a structured database of information. Google later acquired this project, integrating its technology into the Google Knowledge Graph. Throughout his career, Hillis has secured over 300 patents covering areas such as RAID disk arrays, multicore multiprocessors, and forgery prevention. His work continues through Applied Invention, an organization focused on interdisciplinary engineering and scientific projects.
Fast facts
- Born: 1956, Baltimore
- Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Doctoral Supervisors: Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, Gerald Sussman
- Key Invention: Connection Machine
- 1989 Award: Grace Murray Hopper Award
- 2002 Award: Dan David Prize
- Employer: Applied Minds
- Affiliation: National Academy of Engineering
Questions readers ask
What is the Connection Machine?
It was a massively parallel computer with 64,000 processor cores designed for complex artificial intelligence and data-intensive tasks.
What is Hillis's role in the pinch-to-zoom technology?
He invented and patented the use of multiple touch points to control a zoom interface, which influenced subsequent patent litigation in the mobile industry.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Applied Minds
- Educated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Worked as inventor, computer scientist and engineer
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