Home
Center for Autonomy
Enabling high-impact research in autonomous system design
About the Center for Autonomy
Located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Center for Autonomy will enable high-impact research and develop new educational programs for students and professionals. The Center will play an important role in designing innovative systems that can function autonomously, or without human intervention, in a safe and reliable way.
From self-driving cars to intelligent robotic assistants to remote surgical systems, autonomous technology will revolutionize the way we live, work, and play. In order to enable this revolution, however, advancements in foundational research and workforce development must first take place to provide assured and certified-safe performance.
Application areas include:
UPCOMING SEMINAR
The Mechanical Side of Artificial Intelligence
Friday, May 1, 2026
2:00pm Central Time
Talks are held virtually. Please use the link in the calendar event.
Speaker: Robert Wood (Harvard University)
Artificial Intelligence research typically focuses on perception, learning, and control methods to enable autonomous agents, including robots, to make and act on decisions in real-world scenarios. However, even the most capable AI without a well-designed physical structure is of minimal use for canonical robotics tasks. Our research is focused on the design, mechanics, materials, and manufacturing of novel robot platforms that make perception, control, or action easier or more robust for natural, unstructured, and often unpredictable environments. Key principles in this pursuit include bioinspired designs, smart materials for novel sensors and actuators, and the development of multi-scale, multi-material manufacturing methods. This talk will illustrate this philosophy by highlighting the creation of three classes of robots with unique hardware challenges: bioinspired microrobots, soft-bodied robots for manipulation, and robots for interacting with delicate marine life.