UT Austin Recieves $30 Million NSF Award to Advance Human-Robot Tech

The University of Texas at Austin will receive $30 million over five years from the National Science Foundation to establish a Science and Technology Center focused on developing robots that can better adapt to people and changing environments.

How will the research work?

UT Austin has been selected to receive a $30 million, five-year award from the NSF to support the Center for Human and Robot Co-Adaptation. The center is one of three new NSF Science and Technology Centers announced as part of a $90 million investment in advanced research.

The center will focus on developing robotic technologies that can securely and effectively adapt to the people and environments around them.

Researchers will combine robotics, artificial intelligence, and human factors to study how humans and robots can learn from and adapt to one another. The research could help robots better understand people's needs and preferences while allowing them to adjust physically and cognitively as environments and users change.

The technology could eventually support service and assistive robots used in homes, hospitals, workplaces, and public spaces, with potential applications in healthcare and independent living.

Why does the investment matter?

The NSF said its new Science and Technology Centers are intended to strengthen American leadership in science and technology, develop the nation's STEM workforce, and accelerate innovation.

Sen. John Cornyn: "The National Science Foundation's investment in UT Austin will fund cutting-edge research to develop robots that are more trustworthy, intuitive, and responsive to the people they serve."

Cornyn also praised NSF for selecting UT Austin, saying the research could "open new frontiers in science and technology that change the world."

What comes next?

The NSF Science and Technology Center program supports large-scale research projects with an initial five-year commitment and the possibility of additional funding for another five years.

For UT Austin, the award places the university at the center of a national effort to develop robotics that are not only more capable, but also more secure, responsive, and useful in everyday human environments.