INTERACTIVE MACHINES LAB

Director:  Luis Pacheco

We design systems that make machines easier to work with, live with, and create with.
 
What We Do
The Interactive Machines Lab explores how intelligent systems can interact with people through physical presence, spatial awareness, and real-time behavior. We focus on making machines more intuitive—whether they’re tools, collaborators, or creative partners. Our work brings together robotics, AI, design, and interaction to prototype systems that feel responsive, reliable, and expressive in everyday contexts.
 
Research Areas
1. Physical AI
We give AI a physical layer connecting models like language, diffusion, and control systems to motion, expression, and embodied behavior in the real world.
 
2. Spatial User Interfaces (SUI)
We design interfaces that operate in physical space beyond screens. These systems use motion, positioning, and spatial context to enable direct, dynamic interaction with machines and environments.
 
3. Procedural Robot Control
We develop real-time, generative control systems for robots. Using animation logic, simulation, and custom tooling, we enable flexible, improvisational machine behavior for tasks in fabrication, performance, and interaction.