Daniela Rus — Robotics, Autonomy, Human-AI Collaboration

DANIELA RUS

Daniela Rus | Director of MIT CSAIL | Pioneering roboticist | human‑AI collaboration—shaping how intelligent machines move from lab to real‑world impact.

Daniela Rus is the Director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. A robotics and AI pioneer, she advances autonomous systems, soft robotics and human‑AI collaboration, translating breakthrough research into real‑world impact across industry and society.

For Daniela’s full Bio see below: –

ARTICLES: – 

Top 10 Women in Machine Learning

The Heart and the Chip: What Could Go Wrong? An excerpt from a new book by MIT roboticist Daniela Rus

TOPICS:  

Flagship keynotes

  • The Next Era of Robotics: From Soft Machines to Human-AI Collaboration What it covers: Breakthroughs in soft/printable/modular robots, autonomy, and learning-based control—and how they move from lab to real-world use. Audiences take away: Where robotics is heading, near-term applications, and responsible deployment principles.
  • Autonomous Systems You Can Trust: Safety, Reliability, and Governance What it covers: Designing autonomy for mobility, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics with verifiable safety, robustness, and human-in-the-loop oversight. Audiences take away: Practical frameworks for risk, assurance, and governance of AI-driven systems.
  • AI + Robotics in the Wild: From Algorithms to Impact What it covers: Bridging ML, perception, and control with novel robot designs; cases from marine, aerial, and industrial settings. Audiences take away: What it takes to get beyond pilots—data, simulation, hardware, and integration playbooks.
  • Soft Robotics: New Materials, New Capabilities What it covers: How soft and printable robots unlock safe manipulation, adaptability, and new form factors in healthcare, agriculture, and beyond. Audiences take away: The design principles, materials advances, and deployment opportunities for soft systems.
  • Human-Centered Autonomy: Collaboration, Skills, and the Future of Work What it covers: Designing robots that augment people; ergonomics, interfaces, and task sharing; education and workforce readiness. Audiences take away: How to integrate autonomy on the factory floor, in clinics, and in services while elevating human capability.
  • Scaling from Lab to Market: Translating Robotics Research into Products What it covers: From prototypes to production—validation, datasets and simulation, safety cases, regulatory paths, and partnerships/startups. Audiences take away: A step-by-step view of de-risking and commercializing robotics innovations.

 

Sector-focused talks

  • Autonomy in Mobility: Safer, Smarter Transportation Use cases: AVs, last-mile delivery, aerial robotics, maritime autonomy; sensing, mapping, and decision-making at scale.
  • Robotics in Healthcare: Assistive, Surgical and Clinical AI Use cases: Soft robotic manipulation, patient assistance, imaging-guided autonomy and clinical workflow augmentation.
  • Climate and Resilience: Robots for a Changing Planet Use cases: Environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, marine exploration, infrastructure inspection and disaster response.
  • Manufacturing and Logistics: From Flexible Cells to Full Automation Use cases: Human-robot collaboration, reconfigurable lines, soft manipulation for e‑commerce and warehouse autonomy.

 

Formats

  • Keynote (30–60 minutes) + Q&A
  • Executive/board briefing or strategy workshop
  • Fireside chat and audience AMA
  • Virtual or on‑site, global

 

Bring Daniela Rus to your stage for a keynote, fireside chat, or board briefing. Enquire via Oration Speakers.

BIOGRAPHY

Daniela RUS 

Daniela Rus is a pioneering roboticist and the Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where she also holds the Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professorship in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Her research spans robotics and artificial intelligence with a focus on autonomous systems, soft and modular robots, algorithms for mobility and manipulation, and the integration of machine learning with control and perception. She and her students have introduced influential approaches to printable and reconfigurable robots, marine and aerial autonomy and human‑AI collaboration that translate from lab breakthroughs to real‑world deployments.

As head of CSAIL, one of the world’s largest and most influential computing research laboratories, Rus oversees research that shapes the future of AI and computing—advancing fundamentals while catalyzing applications in domains such as transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, and climate. She is a MacArthur Fellow and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has received numerous awards for research and leadership. Rus has published extensively, served on editorial boards and national advisory committees, and helped launch startups that bring robotics innovations to market.

A sought‑after speaker and advisor, Rus offers a clear view of where AI and robotics are headed—and how leaders can harness intelligent systems responsibly and effectively. She earned her PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University.

Bring Daniela Rus to your stage for a keynote, fireside chat, or board briefing. Enquire via Oration Speakers.

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