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Human-Centered Computing

Our work in human-centered computing explores and enhances the ways in which people and communities engage with and experience technology. 

Our research considers the personal, educational, cultural, and ethical implications of innovation. Drawing upon techniques from human-computer interaction, learning sciences, sensing and more, we aim to maximize the potential benefits of technology while minimizing potential harms to individuals, groups and society.


Groups & Labs

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Social Futures Lab

Researchers in the Social Futures Lab are reimagining social and collaborative systems to empower people and improve society.

Human-Centered Robotics Lab photo of a robot assisting with picking up a bottle

Human-Centered Robotics Lab

In the Human-Centered Robotics lab we aim to develop robotics that are useful and usable for future users of task-oriented robots.


Faculty Members

Faculty


Centers & Initiatives

The interdisciplinary DUB group at the University of Washington advances research, collaboration and teaching related to the interaction between design, people, and technology.

Society + Technology is a cross-campus, cross-disciplinary initiative and community at the University of Washington that is dedicated to research, teaching and learning focused on the social, societal and justice dimensions of technology.

Highlights


GeekWire

Allen School undergraduate Prisha Hemani and teammates won the grand prize in the 2026 Hollomon Health Challenge for CPRight, a real-time CPR feedback device. The annual competition is hosted by the UW’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship in the Foster School of Business.

UW Graduate School

Jain will pursue a Master’s of Philosophy in English at Cambridge University to complement his Allen School research focused on designing computational tools for digital archival collections that better reflect the needs and values of the communities they serve.

UW News

A team led by UW researchers created a system that uses a phone’s existing speaker and microphone to accurately estimate fetal heart rate by mimicking Doppler ultrasound.