If you, like me, have ever confused a Raspberry Pi with an actual pie, you’re in good company. I recently walked into IE University’s Robotics & AI Lab fully armed with curiosity, one pen and exactly zero engineering skills. My goal? Write a story. My fear? Accidentally press a button that launches a drone swarm.
Thankfully, no robots were harmed in the making of this tour (and I didn’t break anything—unless you count my sense of reality). Because once you walk into this place, you quickly realize: this isn’t just a lab. It’s a preview of what the world might look like ten years from now—minus the apocalyptic robot overlords, hopefully.
Before we go any further, a big shoutout to Professor Suzan Awinat, who generously gave me the tour. Suzan is not only a professor at IE University, but also a researcher whose work bridges AI, tech ethics and education. She walked me through the lab with the patience of someone who’s definitely explained LiDAR 1,000 times—and still made it exciting. Without her, I’d probably still be trying to figure out how not to trip over a robot base.
Welcome to our Robotics & AI lab: Where students build the future one line of code at a time
Opened in February 2023, the Robotics & AI Lab is tucked inside IE University’s School of Science & Technology, guided by the very futuristic-sounding Professor Eduardo Castelló (he came from MIT so, no pressure). The space is split in two: a learning lab where students tinker with everything from Arduino circuits to six-degree-of-freedom robotic arms and a research lab where those same students—and some very motivated plants—start inventing the future.
It’s sleek. It’s wired. And it’s crawling with machines that talk, walk, sort your trash and—yes—help you cook.
Projects students actually get to build (spoiler: one involves a maze)
Third-year students kick things off by programming small autonomous cars to navigate mazes using sensors and Raspberry Pis. This isn’t a metaphor—they literally race robots through mazes in a kind of nerdy Fast & Furious showdown (minus Vin Diesel, plus a lot of Python).
Can you guess which robot was made by our students? I can’t.
By fourth year, things get serious. Students use Robot Operating System (ROS) to program more advanced robots with cameras, LiDAR and object recognition. One robot can identify a banana on sight and follow it. Another can sort colored blocks using a robotic arm that’s smoother than most baristas.
And just when you think it couldn’t get cooler, they meet Tiago—a humanoid robot with a car-like base, an expressive arm and just enough charm to make you say “hi” back.
Let’s talk research: cooking, gaming, recycling and yes, a sentient plant
This is where things get delightfully strange—and incredibly impressive. The research wing of the lab is home to some of the most innovative projects happening in robotics today. Allow me to introduce a few:
SPICe – the AI cooking assistant that might replace your grandma (sorry, Nana)
SPICe (Smart Projection Interface for Cooking Enhancement) is what happens when you mix AI, vision tracking and a projector with your dinner prep. Instead of reading a recipe on your phone and inevitably smudging it with tomato sauce, SPICe scans your ingredients, suggests recipes and literally projects the step-by-step onto your countertop. Just wave your hand to move to the next step—like a tech-savvy sorcerer chef. Early studies show it makes people feel more confident in the kitchen. Which explains why I left wanting to cook a soufflé (still haven’t).
GAME – Where digital air hockey meets blockchain
No, seriously. GAME (GrAspable Media Entertainment) turns your tabletop into an interactive gaming arena using motion tracking, projection and even blockchain. You can face off against a friend or an AI opponent. It’s physical, immersive and, according to the creators, could someday be used in everything from education to therapy. So next time your cousin tells you gaming is a waste of time, tell them you’re “interacting with tangible user interfaces via agent-based simulation.” That should quiet them.
iTrash – the recycling bin that judges you (but in a nice way)
You wave your trash in front of iTrash, and it tells you where to toss it: paper, plastic or organic. If you get it right, it rewards you with a small donation made in your name to an NGO. Oh, and it uses blockchain, because of course it does. “It’s like karma but with sensors,” someone in the lab joked. I laughed nervously and immediately checked if I had recycled my coffee cup correctly.
TIAGO – The humanoid robot who may or may not be smarter than me
Tiago was part of the lab’s grand opening and he’s still a star. He can recognize faces, sort objects and follow simple verbal instructions. Plans are in motion to train him using language models to perform sentiment analysis from video. Translation: Tiago might soon be able to tell if you’re sad and hand you a tissue. I can barely do that.
Meet the folks behind the bots: The Robotics & AI Club
At the heart of all this futuristic madness is a vibrant student community called the Robotics & AI Club. I met with Zaid Alsaheb, the club’s vice president and a research assistant in the lab. According to him, the club is more than just a hub for tech geeks—it’s a launchpad.
“Everyone brings something different,” Zaid told me. “You don’t have to come in knowing everything. You just have to be curious.” Weekly meetings (called POWs) are where students debate breakthroughs in AI and push each other to build, test and improve. And yes, it’s student-run—but with guidance from experts like Professor Castelló and a network that includes industry partners like PAL Robotics and Carlos III University.
What’s next? A tomato plant with free will
No joke. One of the lab’s most bizarrely genius projects is the Herbie Project, which involves a tomato plant mounted on a robotic base. Herbie moves toward the light, waters itself and might soon fund its own care through blockchain transactions. It’s part robotics, part photosynthesis, part existential crisis. I, for one, welcome our new leafy overlords.
Why this lab matters—and why it’s just the beginning
What struck me most about IE University’s Robotics & AI Lab wasn’t just the tech—it was the access. Students aren’t just learning about innovation. They’re doing it. Whether it’s for a class project, a capstone or a spontaneous idea-turned-startup, this lab offers the tools, mentorship and freedom to build.
If you’re someone who wants to shape the future—whether you’re into AI, robotics, sustainability or just want to teach a robot to water a plant—this is the place to start.
Ready to join the revolution? Learn more at the IE School of Science & Technology or check out the Robotics & AI Club. Just maybe leave your tomato at home.