Embodied AI

AI meets the physical world, interacting with and learning from its environment

Leveraging strengths in robotics, AI and machine learning, and sensor networks, we will maximize AI's impact in the physical world by designing sensor-actuator and mechanical systems that can be embedded within complex networks - from the power grid to autonomous vehicles to smart factories.

Climate-Resilient Communities

Mitigate harm and decarbonize the future

If the twentieth century challenged engineers to make cities livable, the twenty-first century has challenged us to make those same communities sustainable and also adaptive to extreme weather events. By connecting sustainability, urban environments, and equitable climate technologies, Northwestern engineers will not only help decarbonize the earth but will also help mitigate the effects of climate change on people and communities. We will build, preserve, and restore systems to support human activities and minimize our footprint on nature.

Remote Environments

From space to deep sea and beyond, enable new technologies in harsh environments

Surviving and thriving in the harshest environments - on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system - will require specialized devices, infrastructure, and communication systems optimized for these unique conditions. Northwestern leads in developing the materials and technology to support these endeavors.

Our civil and environmental engineers are working with materials scientists, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, and chemists to devise the foundational components to support human settlements in the most severe environments. Their work is dual-purposed: the same materials and methods used to build habitats on Mars, for example, could also help rapidly produce housing in areas hit by natural disasters on Earth.

But our work doesn't stop there. We're also studying the optimal team dynamics to support successful work within these environments.

Optimize the Human Health Span

Improve the quality of life, not just longevity

Engineering and technology can do more than simply cure disease or extend life. Technologies that interact with the human body and optimize health will advance and translate biomedical research to maximize human well-being and improve quality of life. We will explore innovative technologies that could change how the human body responds to disease and heals from injury as well as improve short- and long-term health outcomes.