Student with a device on her head in a neuroscience lab looking at a computer

Work That Matters

What if all communities were future-ready?

Securing a Healthier, More Resilient World

CMU researchers are working to safeguard lives, secure our future and strengthen national resilience. That means we save lives, help systems adapt in the face of disruption, and engineer life-saving medical breakthroughs. We protect community health, strengthen security and privacy, empower U.S. manufacturing and make streets safer. Whether leveraging energy expertise through AI or preparing for the next global emergency, our work supports a safer, more sustainable future.

A team in the Interactive Structures Lab developed a fully customizable finger brace that can easily switch from stiff to flexible with the push or flex of a finger. It can also be 3D printed and requires no assembly.

3D-Printed Brace

A team developed a fully customizable finger brace that can easily switch from stiff to flexible with the push or flex of a finger. 

A brain scan.

Brain Injury Prevention

Researchers have developed the first robust, noninvasive way to detect damaging brain waves that worsen traumatic brain injuries.

Aryn Gittis pictured in a lab

Parkinson's Disease Hope

Aryn Gittis’ research is shaping a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease that could give patients longer-lasting relief.

A man using a robot to assist him in eating

What if robotic caregivers could improve independence?


CMU researchers are developing new technology to enable robots to physically interact with people who are not able to care for themselves.

These breakthroughs are being deployed in the real world, making it possible for individuals with neurological diseases, stroke, multiple sclerosis, ALS and dementia to be able to eat, clean and get dressed fully on their own.

What if every worker was trained for an AI world?

Reimagining the Future of Work, Education and Human Potential

Whether it’s immersive workforce training or AI-powered classrooms, CMU is shaping a future where workforce development, learning science, and human-computer interaction elevate human potential. We’re not just improving learning; we’re strengthening the workforce and supporting economic growth.

Covers of books related to tax preparation

Tax Credit Help

A team of graduate students created resources to help low-income workers learn about the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Carnegie Mellon University researchers are using robotics and AI to help cities detect underground infrastructure problems before they become threats to public safety and the environment.

Mapping Pipes

By combining robotics and AI, researchers are giving cities new ways to map buried pipes and stop underground infrastructure failures before they happen.

Several men working at a construction site

Safer Construction Sites

Autonomous drones save time and money on construction sites. CMU’s Kenji Shimada is making them safer by preventing collisions.

Innovation At Work

198 +

Spin-Offs Created Since 2004

$ 7B +

Investment Raised After Launch

1,165

Patents Issued Since 2004

What if curiosity powered national progress?

Advancing Discovery, Robotics, AI and Innovation

We expand the frontiers of AI, new materials and the future of robotics, to tackle humanity’s biggest challenges, drive economic opportunity and improve lives.

To improve patient care in rural Haiti, CMU students built an electronic medical records system tailored to the needs of a local health clinic.

Human-Centered Tech

Two health app prototypes use readily available technology to address critical gaps in how patients and doctors track, share and use health data. 

Two people having a discussion near a whiteboard

Better Batteries

Carnegie Mellon University is improving a key technology at the heart of America’s energy future — batteries.

Researcher holding a small crystal-like piece of material

Chemists and AI

By teaming AI with human know-how, collaborators have found a faster way to make better rubber-like materials.

Man sitting at a desk working on his computer

What if we guided AI to ensure we make the world better?


CMU researchers view AI as a powerful tool to improve decision-making and are working to address risks like bias and lack of transparency.

Their mission is to develop AI responsibly, ensuring it drives fair and equitable outcomes that reach and uplift communities.

What if technology was guided by ethics and the human spirit?

Creating Meaning in the Digital Age

CMU leads with both research and creative practice to guide innovation with intention. Our artists, humanists and technologists work together to explore what it means to live in a digital world through ethical inquiry, inclusive design and expressive technologies that improve the human experience.

Image of Trent Cash

Trustworthy AI

Research explains what happens when AI chatbots overestimate their abilities and how humans can build trust.

Laurie Heller

Misophonia Help

Laurie Heller Is changing how we understand and potentially treat the condition.

Two men having a discussion in front of a chalkboard

Why-Driven AI

Teaching AI to understand the “why” behind complex problems could transform healthcare, education, generative AI and more.

Learn More about Carnegie Mellon Research