���������߹ۿ����

August 28, 2025

This summer, the RAI Institute Robot Lab at the CambridgeSide mall offered the public the chance to drive a robot.

This summer, an Olin professor and student were part of an interdisciplinary team running a  at the CambridgeSide mall. There, members of the public could learn more about robotics, as well as interact with and even drive .

Part of the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI Institute), the  Robot Lab was a pop-up intended to spark curiosity, encourage people to have technical fun, and inspire the next generation of roboticists. Georgia Van de Zande, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was pulled into the project through her long-time mentor, Dr. Dawn Wendell, who leads the RAI Institute’s External Engagements Program.

“A lot of people have seen videos of robots online or in movies, but most of them haven’t actually seen a live demo,” says Van de Zande, whose research focuses on user-centered product design that creates impact around the world. “The point of the Robot Lab is to give people a chance to interact with robots up close and personal and see what they can do in a fun way.”

The large Robot Lab space was divided into two sides: One housed a museum of robotics from the 1980s to the present, and the other served as an interactive space with an obstacle course for Spot.

“The RAI Institute team has developed a tablet with simplified buttons to control the robot as it runs the course,” says Van de Zande. “We’ve seen everyone from adults on their way to a boat cruise to an 18-month-old child drive Spot. The control panel is also built using an Xbox Adaptive Controller, so everyone has the chance to participate.”

The Robot Lab was supported by a few full-time members of the RAI Institute and staffed by a team of undergraduate students and recent graduates who represent a range of backgrounds, from engineering to neuroscience to anthropology. This interdisciplinary group was well-equipped to answer the public’s questions about robotics from a variety of viewpoints.

“The best part of working in the Robot Lab is working with the public,” says Ben Ely ’28, a mechanical engineering major in Van de Zande’s lab who also worked on the RAI Institute project. “I’ve learned a lot about the importance of the social aspect of engineering, and seeing how people react to engineering technology has been great. Trust is a big factor, and it’s fun to see kids (and adults) who are nervous at first but then warm up.”

In addition to the fun of experiencing Spot in-person, visitors to the Robot Lab were also contributing to a research study. Participants could take a survey before and after driving Spot to see if their interactions changed their perception of the robot.

“We’ve had a steady stream of visitors all summer and given the mall’s location we’ve seen locals and tourists alike,” says Van de Zande. “No one expects to walk into a mall in Cambridge and stumble across Spot, so we’ve also reached a broad cross-section of people, not just folks who already have an interest in STEM.”

Learn more about the RAI Institute and their research at .