Minds & Machines Program

www.mm.rpi.edu

Director: Bram van Heuveln

Minds & Machines Program

Objective• The Minds & Machines program brings

together students and faculty with interests in cognitive science and technology.

• Cognitive Science: The science of all aspects (reasoning, perception, decision-making, etc) of any mind (human, animal, machine) through philosophy, psychology, computer science, neuroscience, linguistics, and other disciplines.

Minds & Machines Program

Dual Major• M&M students are required to have a dual

major:– 1 aimed at ‘Minds’ (e.g. PSYC or PHIL)– 1 aimed at ‘Machines’ (e.g. CSCI , ECSE, ME, EE) – popular combinations are:

• Computer Science/Psychology• Computer Science/Philosophy • ECSE/Psychology

• Note: Dual major is appealing to employers

Minds & Machines Program

Concentrations• Cognitive Modeling

• Perception and Action

• Gaming

• AI

• Robotics

Minds & Machines Program

Laboratories• CogWorks Lab

• Virtual Reality Lab

• Rensselaer Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning Laboratory (RAIR Lab)

Minds & Machines Program

Example Research: Puzzle Solving AI’s

Minds & Machines Program

Example Research: PERI

PERI passes one section of theWAIS-R IQ test!

Minds & Machines Program

Example Research: Cogbot for UT

Minds & Machines Program

What Do I Get Out of the Program?• Discussion of ideas in cognitive science and

technology with other students and faculty• Biweekly luncheons (free lunch) during which

faculty and students share latest research findings• Get actively involved in any of our research labs• Do science as well as engineering, investigate as

well as design, think critically as well as creatively• Be prepared for ‘cognitive revolution’• Develop connections to find internship and job

opportunities (and letters of recommendation)

Minds & Machines Program

How Do I Enroll?• Contact the Director:

– Bram van Heuveln– heuveb@rpi.edu

• Website:– www.mm.rpi.edu