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The Future Interfaces Group is an interdisciplinary research lab within the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. We create new sensing and interface technologies that foster powerful and delightful interactions between humans and computers. These efforts most often lie in emerging use modalities, such as smart environments, wearable computing, mixed reality, and gestural interfaces.
The FIGLAB is located on South Craig Street, at the western edge of Carnegie Mellon’s campus. Our century-old, LEED-certified building contains three studios for rapid ideation and prototyping, encompassing more than 1500 square feet of shop space. One lab is dedicated to electronics prototyping, while two other studios are geared towards physical fabrication, primarily wood and plastics, but also textiles and metalwork. Our equipment includes CNC milling machines, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, 3D printers, vacuum formers, miter and table saws, drill presses, bench sanders, grinders, and a full array of hand tools. A fully-stocked materials room provides immediate access to supplies, large and small. Our building is powered by a rooftop solar array with peak generation of 2.7kW.
Hundreds of millions of devices have shipped with technologies invented and developed by the Future Interfaces Group. While some technologies have been exclusively licensed, many are available for licensing. If you are interested in a particular technology, please contact Professor Harrison. For general inquiries, please email innovation@cmu.edu at the Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation (CTTEC). There are also opportunities to sponsor research in the lab, which can include rights to resulting intellectual property.
The lab does not accept students directly – this process is handled by our parent department, the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. Application materials and information can be found here:
Undergraduate Minor/Major in Human-Computer Interaction (open to all undergrads at CMU)
Bachelors of Human-Computer Interaction (open to undergrads in the School of Computer Science)
Masters of Human-Computer Interaction (one-year accelerated program; oriented as a professional degree, not research)
Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction (multi-year research program)
The Future Interfaces Group is part of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute in Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. To contact the lab, please email chris.harrison@cs.cmu.edu. To contact an individual researcher, please see our team page. Technology licensing inquiries can be directed to cchepano@andrew.cmu.edu.