Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

“One thing you realize working in this lab is that we are really far away from the robot apocalypse,” says MIT senior Sarah Hensley, who is working with a team of researchers to prepare Valkyrie, a humanoid robot, for future space missions.

Prepping a robot for its journey to Mars

Senior Sarah Hensley aims to improve Earth's most advanced humanoid robot, in advance of its trip to the Red Planet.

October 18, 2016

Professor Emeritus Whitman Richards dies at 84

Longtime professor and beloved advisor was known for advances in experimental and theoretical studies of vision, perception, and cognition.

October 17, 2016

CNBC's Eamon Javers (left) with Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan (center) and former NSA counsel Rajesh De.

Cambridge Cyber Summit convenes industry, academia, and government

Hosted by CSAIL, event featured discussions on cybersecurity with tech leaders and officials from the NSA and FBI.

October 12, 2016

To demonstrate Foundry, MIT researchers designed and fabricated skis with retro-reflective surfaces, a ping-pong paddle, a helmet, and even a bone that may someday be used for surgical planning.

Designing for 3-D printing

“Foundry” tool from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab lets you design a wide range of multi-material 3-D-printed objects.

October 11, 2016

MIT researchers outfitted their cube robot with shock-absorbing “skins” (left) that transfer less than half of the energy that would normally be transferred to the ground.

3-D-printed robots with shock-absorbing skins

By “programming” customized soft materials, CSAIL team can 3-D print safer, nimbler, more durable robots.

October 3, 2016

A new computer system can automatically screen young children for speech and language disorders and, potentially, even provide specific diagnoses.

Automated screening for childhood communication disorders

Computer system could help identify subtle speech, language disorders in time for early intervention.

September 22, 2016

MIT researchers have found a new way of managing memory on computer chips that uses circuit space much more efficiently and is more consistent with existing chip designs.

Cache management improved once again

New version of breakthrough memory management scheme better accommodates commercial chips.

September 21, 2016

Left to right: PhD student Fadel Adib, PhD student Mingmin Zhao, and Professor Dina Katabi pose with their EQ-Radio device, which can detect emotion using wireless signals.

Detecting emotions with wireless signals

Measuring your heartbeat and breath, CSAIL device can tell if you’re excited, happy, angry, or sad.

September 20, 2016

ROBOAT, a new collaboration between researchers from MIT and partner institutions in the Netherlands, seeks to design and deploy a fleet of autonomous boats on the canals of Amsterdam.

An autonomous fleet for Amsterdam

MIT, AMS Institute will collaborate to solve complex urban problems for Amsterdam with the development of autonomous "roboats."

September 19, 2016

MIT spinout EverVest has built a data-analytics platform that gives investors rapid, accurate cash-flow models and financial risk analyses for renewable-energy projects.

Calculating the financial risks of renewable energy

Financial-modeling software for sustainable-infrastructure projects could boost investment in sector.

September 15, 2016

Researchers have designed a new programming language that lets application developers manage memory more efficiently in programs that deal with scattered data points in large data sets. In tests on several common algorithms, programs written in the new language were four times as fast as those written in existing languages.

Faster parallel computing

New programming language delivers fourfold speedups on problems common in the age of big data.

September 13, 2016

Nancy Lynch, the NEC Professor of Software Science and Engineering, and associate head of MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Nancy Lynch named associate head of Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Expert in distributed computing to join department leadership.

September 7, 2016

Accelerometers around patients' necks capture data about the motions of their vocal folds to determine if their vocal behavior was normal or abnormal.

How machine learning can help with voice disorders

By detecting signs of vocal misuse, system from CSAIL and Mass General could eventually be used to help diagnose voice disorders.

August 29, 2016

Eleven faculty, staff, and alumni were named to the MIT Technology Review 2016 TR35.

Eleven from MIT named to the 2016 TR35

Nearly one-third of MIT Technology Review’s top innovators under the age of 35 have a connection to MIT.

August 25, 2016

Ginkgo Bioworks staff members Ramya Prathuri (left) and Nate Tedford work at the mass spectrometer in the Ginkgo foundry.

Hacking microbes

Startup’s engineered yeast helps clients produce fragrances and flavors more efficiently.