Research — MIT Media Lab

We are an interdisciplinary research lab working to invent the future of

artificial intelligence
art
health
design
robotics
human-machine interaction
technology
learning + teaching
architecture
human-computer interaction
consumer electronics
music
wearable computing
kids
data
bioengineering
sensors
machine learning
environment
politics
space
networks
cognition
wellbeing
entertainment
social science
economy
computer science
creativity
history
storytelling
interfaces
alumni
covid19
ethics
engineering
civic technology
developing countries
prosthetics
community
privacy
biology
communications
augmented reality
social robotics
computer vision
virtual reality
imaging
neurobiology
social media
urban planning
public health
industry
biotechnology
climate change
synthetic biology
social networks
energy
food
affective computing
data visualization
transportation
biomechanics
medicine
fabrication
government
behavioral science
social change
materials
women
cognitive science
ocean
sustainability
data science
startup
zero gravity
agriculture
blockchain
manufacturing
gaming
human augmentation
diversity
prosthetic design
banking and finance
genetics
healthcare
racial justice
electrical engineering
neural interfacing and control
ecology
cryptocurrency
3d printing
fashion
mental health
civic action
bionics
security
natural language processing
microfabrication
sleep
construction
language learning
member company
performance
autonomous vehicles
open source
social justice
systems
visualization
mechanical engineering
interactive
microbiology
marginalized communities
perception
nanoscience
cities
internet of things
water
collective intelligence
textiles
womens health
chemistry
code
mapping
clinical science
physiology
physics
nonverbal behavior
voice
algorithms
biomedical imaging
assistive technology
law
culture
wireless
sports and fitness
rfid
long-term interaction
hacking
trust
gender studies
cells
orthotic design
networking
pharmaceuticals
digital currency
mechatronics
soft-tissue biomechanics
open access
autism research
business
science
exhibit
real estate
internet
news
decision-making
misinformation
journalism
asl

MIT team awarded 2024 J-WAFS seed grant

Dr. Boriskina and PhD student Ikra Shuvo receive J-WAFS grant to develop energy-efficient atmospheric water harvesting technology.

Post Research

MIT research team wins Global-X Challenge

Svetlana Boriskina and Ikra Shuvo win Global-X Challenge for smart textiles enabling sensing, protection, and energy harvesting

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Conformable Decoders

Converting the patterns of nature and the human body into beneficial signals and energy

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City Science

Looking beyond smart cities

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Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek

Inventing disruptive technologies for nanoelectronic devices and creating new paradigms for life-machine symbiosis

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Signal Kinetics

Inventing, building, and deploying wireless sensor technologies to address complex problems in society, industry, and ecology

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Digital Currency Initiative (DCI)

Decentralizing trust and disrupting power structures with cryptographic peer-to-peer exchange and distributed systems

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Biomechatronics

Enhancing human physical capability

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Sculpting Evolution

Cultivating wisdom through evolutionary and ecological engineering

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Lifelong Kindergarten

Engaging people in creative learning experiences

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Media Lab Research Theme: Life with AI

Life with AI | Designing the future of smart systems to improve the human experience

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Media Lab Research Theme: Future Worlds

Future Worlds | Design and action for the future we want to live in

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Media Lab Research Theme: Decentralized Society

Decentralized Society | Architecting the new internet for the good of the people

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Media Lab Research Theme: Cultivating Creativity

Cultivating Creativity | Catalyzing a global movement enabling everyone to unlock and unleash their individual and collective creativity

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Media Lab Research Theme: Connected Mind + Body

Connected Mind + Body | Revolutionizing the future of mental and physical wellbeing

Article Research

Creating smart buildings with privacy-first sensors

Butlr, founded by former Media Lab researchers, uses insights from thermal sensors to make buildings safe and efficient.

Project Research

Scalable and Ultra-Low Power Ocean IoT

We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of 𝑈2𝐵, a technology that enables scalable ad ultra-low power ocean IoT. At the…

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Theme | CityScope

City Science researchers are developing a slew of tangible and digital platforms dedicated to solving spatial design and urban planning cha…

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Space Exploration Initiative

Designing, prototyping, and building the artifacts of our sci-fi space future

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Zero-Power Oceans Internet of Things

Our Oceans IoT technologies enable new applications in climate and ecological monitoring, aquaculture, energy, and robotic navigation. …

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2D Spintronic and Neuromorphic Devices for Sustainable Artificial Intelligence

Article Research

Marian Muthui: The unstoppable force assembling Kenya’s first electric buses

Alum Marian Muthui is the New Product Introduction Programme Manager at BasiGo Kenya, where her team assembled Kenya's first electric buses.

How software can act as an assistant rather than a tool, by learning from interaction and proactively anticipating the user's needs

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Project Research

Dual Energy-Climate Challenge

Data-driven strategies to meet the Dual Energy-Climate ChallengeThe global community stands at a critical juncture, facing the dual energy-…

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Project proposal by Dava Newman and Minoo Rathnasabapathy selected for funding by MIT Energy Initiative’s Future Energy Systems Center

The projects selected are aimed at accelerating decarbonization through system analysis and insights.

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City Science Lab @ Andorra

Andorra and the City Science research group at the MIT Media Lab are taking on the challenge of turning Andorra into an “Internationally Re…

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Theme | Mobility On-Demand

Urban populations around the world are rapidly growing. To improve livability, urban residents must reduce dependency on fossil fuels and p…

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The MIT Autonomous Bicycle Project

A lightweight research platform to develop autonomous technology Designed to transform bicycle-sharing systems into an on-demand mobil…

Article Research

Propelling atomically layered magnets toward green computers

MIT scientists address issues to bringing 2D magnetic materials into practical use, setting the stage for more energy-efficient computers

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Persuasive Electric Vehicle (PEV)

An Alternative Autonomous Revolution System design for emerging urban contexts and societal aspirationsThe Persuasive Electric Vehicle…

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MobiScope: Advancing Decision-Making in New Urban Mobility

Urban mobility is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. In this context, stakeholders such as governments and mobility operators ne…

Publication Research

Current-induced switching of a van der Waals ferromagnet at room temperature

Kajale, S.N., Nguyen, T., Chao, C.A. et al. Current-induced switching of a van der Waals ferromagnet at room temperature. Nat Commun 15, 1485 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45586-4

Project Research

Andorra | Energy + Environment

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Mediated Matter

Designing for, with, and by nature

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The Power of Without

The Power of WITHOUT is a research theme in the City Science group. The theme proposes that heavy infrastructure solutions are not financia…

Article Research

Gridlocked: Inflection Point

On the Gridlocked podcast, Media Lab Director Dava Newman and other experts consider what it will take to secure a clean energy future.

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Autonomous micro-mobility simulation study

What will be the impact of shared autonomous micro-mobility systems? Will autonomy make the micro-mobility systems even more attractive?&nb…

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Technologies Toolkit

Following The Power of Without agenda, the City Science group proposes the Technologies Toolkit. This research aims to translate the knowle…

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Conformal Piezoelectric Mechanical Energy Harvesters: Mechanically Invisible Human Dynamos

Nearly all classes of wearable and implantable biomedical devices depend on battery power for continuous operation. However, the life span …

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Battery-free wireless underwater camera

More than 95% of the ocean has never been observed by humans, even though the ocean plays the largest role in the world's climate system, h…

Article Research

Gridlocked: Spaceship Earth

On the Gridlocked Podcast, Media Lab Director Dava Newman and other guests discuss the climate emergency, collaboration, and adaptation.

Article Research

Could self-driving bikes change how we use cities?

Kent Larson, head of the Media Lab’s City Science group, and PhD student Naroa Coretti Sánchez talk about the group's work and philosophy.

Inventing the future of digitally augmented objects and environments.

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Collective Learning

Transforming data into knowledge

Article Research

Friction on TED Radio Hour

Lab alum David Moinina Sengeh and others speak on TED Radio Hour about friction in its many uses and forms.

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Battery-free wireless underwater camera featured as a research highlight in Nature Electronics

The Signal Kinetics lab's underwater camera project was chosen as a research highlight in the current issue of Nature Electronics

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Open Agriculture (OpenAg)

Open Agriculture Initiative (OpenAg)

Center for Civic Media

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Post Research

Signal Kinetics team wins Explorer Prize in Ocean Observing Prize's DISCOVER Competition

Team Pulse of the Ocean becomes an Explorer Prize winner in the DISCOVER Competition—the first stage of the Ocean Observing Prize.

How buildings and cities can become more intelligently responsive to the needs and desires of their inhabitants.

Archived

Thesis Research

Nuclear, A Climate Opportunity

MLA Babio, Guadalupe. Nuclear, A Climate Opportunity: Investigating decentralized energy networks for new urban environments. Diss. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021.