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, decisionmaking, 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
• Engineering/Psychology
• Note: Dual major is appealing to employers
Minds & Machines Program
Concentrations
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Cognitive Modeling
Perception and Action
Gaming
AI
Robotics
Minds & Machines Program
Laboratories
• CogWorks Lab
• Perception and Action (PandA) Lab
• Rensselaer Artificial Intelligence and
Reasoning Laboratory (RAIR Lab)
Minds & Machines Program
Example Research: Puzzle Solving AI’s
Minds & Machines Program
Example Research: Cognitive Robotics
PERI passes one section of the
WAIS-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
• Orientation meeting:
– sept. 6 (next wed.), noon, Sage 4101