Advances in low- and no-power sensing, communication and interaction technologies offer new possibilities for blending digital innovation with our physical environment.
From gesture recognition that allows people to interact with objects in new ways, to low-power sensors that collect and transmit data about temperature, air quality, urban accessibility and more, our researchers are tapping into the potential of computation to transform how we experience the world around us.
Research Groups & Labs
Security and Privacy Research Lab
The Security and Privacy Research Lab works on a variety of topics, ranging from studying and addressing security and privacy risks in existing technologies, to anticipating future risks in emerging technologies.
Personal Robotics Lab
Our mission is to develop the fundamental building blocks of perception, manipulation, learning, and human-robot interaction to enable robots to perform complex physical manipulation tasks under clutter and uncertainty with and around people.
Faculty Members
Centers & Initiatives
Computing for the Environment (CS4Env) at the University of Washington supports novel collaborations across the broad fields of environmental sciences and computer science & engineering. The initiative engages environmental scientists and engineers, computer scientists and engineers, and data scientists in using advanced technologies, methodologies and computing resources to accelerate research that addresses pressing societal challenges related to climate change, pollution, biodiversity and more.
DFab is a network of researchers, educators, industry partners, and community members advancing the field of digital fabrication at UW and in the greater Seattle region.
Highlights
UW News
Iyer, co-director of the interdisciplinary CS for the Environment Initiative, was recognized among the 2026 class of fellows for his early-career efforts to address sustainability challenges — from recyclable electronics, to battery-free robotics, to AI-optimized hardware design.
Allen School News
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recognized Kemelmacher-Shlizerman for her “contributions to face, body, and clothing modeling from large image collections,” including pioneering virtual try-on tools and bringing the technology to the mainstream.
Allen School News
The team co-led by professor emeritus Richard Ladner examined how people with visual and motor disabilities select, adapt and use mobile devices in their everyday lives. Since its publication in 2009, the findings have helped guide new innovations in mobile device accessibility.