Research
Carnegie Mellon University has a long history of pushing the boundaries of research in human-computer interaction.
The founding faculty of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute brought expertise from psychology, computer science, design and technology, and our human-centered innovation started at the intersection of these interdisciplinary fields. However, as the field of HCI continues to evolve and the technology becomes more ubiquitous, we remain dedicated to the people at the center of our work.
In addition to teaching the next generation of HCI professionals, HCII faculty are conducting interdisciplinary research projects with their colleagues at Carnegie Mellon and around the world. Our faculty and students contribute innovative research to a variety of academic conferences and subject areas, including human-computer interaction, human factors in computing systems, computer-supported cooperative work, ubiquitous technologies, educational technologies, and accessibility, just to name a few.
Current research projects and impact areas
For a broad look at our recent work, view the faculty research projects. To take a closer look at a specific subject area, select one from the bulleted list of research areas below.
To see recent work by our masters students during their 2-semester Capstone project, view our MHCI Capstone projects and METALS Capstone projects.
Research areas
View recent research projects by subject area:
- Accessibility
- Applied Machine Learning (ML)
- Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR) / Extended Reality (XR)
- Computational creativity
- Computational fabrication
- Context-aware computing
- Crowdsourcing
- Data visualization
- Design research
- Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics (FATE)
- Future of Work
- Game design
- Healthcare
- Human-Centered AI
- Human-Centered Data Science
- Learning sciences and technologies
- Social computing
- Tools
- Usable Privacy and Security
- Wearables
Doing Research With Us
HCII faculty have decades of expertise in a variety of human-centered research areas. For a list of interdisciplinary centers and research labs affiliated with our faculty, visit our Centers and Labs page. Our location at Carnegie Mellon University offers a strong academic community and a variety of Facilities and Resources. We also offer LearnLab resources to the learning science community.
The HCI Institute has a rich history of academic research and industry partnerships. From startups and nonprofits to major global companies, we value our collaborations with all types of organizations. Interested collaborators and project sponsors can learn more About the HCII and browse options for Doing Research with Us. If you are interested in partnering with the HCII on your organization's next research project, please Email us.
Opportunities for Students
The HCII offers several opportunities for students to participate in the research at our institute.
- Independent Study opportunities are often changing, so check back each semester.
- Our Summer Research Program is a paid, 10-week program for undergraduate students to spend the summer with us while working on one research project with our team.