Xia Zhou’s lab showcases hardware prototype for palm vein pattern recognition using near-infrared imaging.

Research

AI in Action

At the Columbia AI Summit, a demo session highlights advancements and innovation at Columbia Engineering.

March 13, 2025
Bernadette Young

The Columbia Engineering AI Demo Session held Mar. 4 in Carleton Commons showcased innovations in computer vision, robotics, sensing, and sustainability. As part of the Columbia AI Summit—a University-wide event highlighting Columbia’s deep expertise in artificial intelligence—the session provided attendees with a firsthand look at AI research and technology.

Inside Columbia Engineering’s Demo Session

Video Credit: Jane Nisselson

Welcome sign that reads "Engineering AI Demo Session" Play video

“Many people truly grasped AI’s rapid evolution when ChatGPT emerged, but AI research at Columbia had been thriving for years,” said Vishal Misra, vice dean for computing and AI at Columbia Engineering and professor of computer science. “This event was a chance to spotlight the work happening across the University and underscore our unique interdisciplinary approach to AI.”

Columbia leverages its broad academic strengths to explore AI beyond just technological development from medicine to law and business to journalism.

“AI is transforming every field,” said Richard Zemel, the Trianthe Dakolias Professor of Engineering and Applied Science in the Department of Computer Science, and event co-host. “Columbia’s approach ensures we are not just advancing AI technology, but also examining its broader implications and shaping policies for its responsible use.”

A showcase and network opportunity 

“I'm a researcher and I love to share what I've been doing,” said Yunzhu Li, assistant professor of computer science. Li and his students presented a robot equipped with advanced tactile sensors that significantly improved its ability to perform tasks requiring precise gripping. Li emphasized the importance of participating in these types of demo events, noting that they create valuable opportunities for collaboration. 

“These sessions open the door for partnerships with fellow professors and, of course, students who can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the research,” he added.

Demo Session Highlights

Photo Credit: David Dini/Columbia Engineering

From the lab of Matei Ciocarlie–a novel dexterous robotic hand using tactile-based deep reinforcement learning for complex in-hand manipulations.
From the lab of Matei Ciocarlie–a novel dexterous robotic hand using tactile-based deep reinforcement learning for complex in-hand manipulations.
Xia Zhou’s lab showcases hardware prototype for palm vein pattern recognition using near-infrared imaging.
Xia Zhou’s lab showcases hardware prototype for palm vein pattern recognition using near-infrared imaging.
From Hod Lipson’s Creative Machines Lab–a face robot, Emo, learns to make and predict human facial expressions by watching videos
From Hod Lipson’s Creative Machines Lab–a face robot, Emo, learns to make and predict human facial expressions by watching videos.
Three Columbia AI Summit attendees conversing next a research display board
Dean Shih-Fu Chang (foreground) with University Trustees Keith Goggin and Victor Mendelson
Dean Shih-Fu Chang (foreground) with University Trustees Keith Goggin and Victor Mendelson.
Richard Zemel (left) and Vishal Misra delivered welcome remarks at the AI Demo Session
Richard Zemel (left) and Vishal Misra delivered welcome remarks at the AI Demo Session.
The Yunzhu Li lab demonstrate a high-res, flexible, and scalable tactile sensor and how it enables robots to "feel" the objects they interact with
The Yunzhu Li lab demonstrate a high-res, flexible, and scalable tactile sensor and how it enables robots to "feel" the objects they interact with.
Three attendees at the 2025 Columbia AI Summit
Three people standing behind a table holding a robotic hand
All smiles at the AI Summit’s demo session! (Pictured: members of the Ciocarlie lab)
x/x

The steady hum of conversation between participants and the crowd of attendees filled the space, and discussions ranged from technical breakthroughs to real-world applications of the projects. 

“We have only scratched the surface with our research and need more collaborators,” said Judah Goldfelder, a demo session participant and Engineering PhD student in the Creative Machines Lab. His project, developed in partnership with Google, focused on reducing buildings’ carbon emissions by five percent. Advocating for an open-source model, he convinced Google to make the project publicly accessible, enabling contributors to collaborate via GitHub.

This initiative produced a publicly available toolkit to help researchers develop AI-powered heating and cooling systems, reducing energy waste and pollution. The open-source benchmark aims to standardize research efforts in this area and foster collaboration across institutions. “Scaling this project requires more collaborators, and I got a lot of inquiries about the project at this event,” Goldfelder said.

The AI demo session featured 13 projects from across the School. Visit this project page for a list of the day’s demo descriptions and participants.

Lead Photo Credit: David Dini/Columbia Engineering