Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

Honing household helpersMIT computer scientists work toward improving robots’ ability to plan and perform complex actions, domestically and elsewhere.

Of minds and machinesFinal installment of MIT’s 150th anniversary symposia explores intelligence — both human and artificial.

Speeding swarms of sensor robotsA new algorithm ensures that robotic environmental sensors will be able to focus on areas of interest without giving other areas short shrift.

Demaine’s artwork selected for Smithsonian exhibitPart of the 40 Under 40: Craft Futures exhibition, which will run starting in 2012.

Information AgeAs part of MIT’s 150th-birthday celebration, computer science luminaries — many from MIT's faculty — gathered on campus for a two-day symposium.

Flying like the birdsMultidisciplinary university research initiative, led by a CSAIL researcher, is developing a bird-sized UAV.

Targeted resultsBy envisioning data as 'graphs,' MIT researchers show how to find local solutions to otherwise overwhelmingly complex problems.

Kaashoek wins ACM’s prize for young researchersThe professor of computer science, 45, is only the fourth recipient of the prize from the Association for Computing Machinery.

iRobot to the rescueCSAIL spinoff sends robotic aid to Japan

Dueling algorithmsIf software companies design their algorithms with the sole intention of outperforming each other, the customer can be the loser.

Rivest unlocks cryptography's past, looks toward futurePublic-key system has worked and made Internet commerce feasible, but new systems are ready in case flaws are found.

Data visualization tool developed at MIT gets Library of Congress supportMIT Libraries receives grant for work on 'Exhibit 3.0' software

Turning reviews into ratingsA new system automatically combs through online reviews to provide recommendations according to unusual criteria.

A clearer picture of visionNew mathematical model of information processing in the brain accurately predicts some of the peculiarities of human vision.

Breaking bottlenecksA new algorithm enables much faster dissemination of information through self-organizing networks with a few scattered choke points.

Harrell convenes thought-leaders to catalyze new research informed by science, humanities and arts disciplines

Faster websites, more reliable dataWeb servers that store data locally save time on database searches but sometimes serve up obsolete results. A new system solves that problem.

Why telecom regulation needs to changeResearch suggests that the approach that worked with a few large companies with aligned interests needs revisiting in the Internet age.

First improvement of fundamental algorithm in 10 yearsThe max-flow problem, which is ubiquitous in network analysis, scheduling, and logistics, can now be solved more efficiently than ever.

In the World: Health care in the palm of a handMIT-led student team develops mobile-device software to help improve health-care accessibility in remote regions.

3 Questions: Nicholas Roy on deploying drones in U.S. skiesMIT robotics expert discusses the logistical hurdles of regulating unmanned aircraft for civilian use.

Rick Cory named Boeing Engineering Student of the Year

A plane that lands like a birdAn innovative control system allows a foam glider to touch down on a perch or a wire like a pet parakeet.

Broadband picture may not be so bleakA new study disputes the claim that Internet data rates in the U.S. are only half as high as advertised; study’s authors call for better data.

Computer automatically deciphers ancient languageA new system that took a couple hours to decipher much of the ancient language Ugaritic could help improve online translation software.

Toward the Semantic WebA new standard from the World Wide Web Consortium brings the Web a step closer to realizing the vision of its inventor, Tim Berners-Lee.

How the brain recognizes objectsA new computational model sheds light on the workings of the human visual system and could help advance artificial-intelligence research, too.

Gesture-based computing on the cheapWith a single piece of inexpensive hardware — a multicolored glove — MIT researchers are making Minority Report-style interfaces more accessible.

Rivest wins faculty’s Killian AwardMIT encryption pioneer recognized for ‘extraordinary’ contributions in computer science