Advances in low- and no-power sensing, communication and interaction technologies offer new possibilities for blending digital innovation with our physical environment.
From gesture recognition that allows people to interact with objects in new ways, to low-power sensors that collect and transmit data about temperature, air quality, urban accessibility and more, our researchers are tapping into the potential of computation to transform how we experience the world around us.
Research Groups & Labs
Robot Learning Lab
The Robot Learning Lab works on foundational research in machine learning, AI and robotics to develop intelligent robotic systems that can perceive, plan and act in complex environments and improve performance with experience.
UbiComp Lab
The Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) Lab develops innovative systems for health sensing, low-power sensing, energy sensing, activity recognition and novel user interface technology for real-world applications.
Faculty Members
Centers & Initiatives
Computing for the Environment (CS4Env)
Computing for the Environment (CS4Env) at the University of Washington supports novel collaborations across the broad fields of environmental sciences and computer science & engineering. The initiative engages environmental scientists and engineers, computer scientists and engineers, and data scientists in using advanced technologies, methodologies and computing resources to accelerate research that addresses pressing societal challenges related to climate change, pollution, biodiversity and more.
Tech Policy Lab
The Tech Policy Lab is a unique, interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Washington that aims to enhance technology policy through research, education, and thought leadership. Founded in 2013 by faculty from the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, Information School, and School of Law, the Lab aims to bridge the gap between technologists and policymakers and to help generate wiser, more inclusive tech policy.
Highlights
Allen School News
A team of Allen School researchers introduced computational illusion knitting — a design framework that helps automate the process, making illusion knitting more accessible and allowing for more complex and multi-view patterns like hidden Mona Lisas that were previously believed to be impossible.
UW News
Researchers in the Allen School’s Personal Robotics Lab invited people with motor impairments to help them test the Assistive Dexterous Arm in real-world scenarios — including community researcher Jonathan Ko, who spent five days with ADA in his home.
GeekWire
The company, which is led by Allen School robotics professor Byron Boots, opened the 22,000 square-foot facility to produce its autonomous ground vehicles capable of navigating off-road terrain in challenging environments.