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Research Labs

Advanced Visualization and Interactive Systems Lab

Recent research at the Advanced Visualization and Interactive Systems Lab includes animal modeling and animation, environmental visualization, isosurfaces, d.v.r., hierarchies, irregular grids, massively parallel volume rendering through the net, uncertainty visualization, virtual reality in scientific visualization, nomadic collaborative visualization, tensor visualization, and flow visualization.

Alternative Learning Technologies and Games Lab

The Alternative Learning Technologies and Games (ALT Games) Lab is an interdisciplinary team working on projects ranging across multiple domains such as human-computer interaction, learning science, electrical engineering, psychology, and digital arts. The mission of the lab is to create and explore the potential of alternative controllers, novel interfaces, and other forms of unique input/output.

Applied and Nano-Optics

The research interests of the Applied and Nano-optics group cover a wide range with an emphasis on experimental nanoscale optics. We are developing new methods and devices for optical studies of single particles such as molecules, photons, or nanomagnets. To this end we are using a wide variety of optical and nanoscale characterization techniques such as time-correlated single photon counting, ultrafast laser spectroscopy, or scanning probe microscopy. Applications of our research include integrated biomedical sensors, high-density magnetic memory, or single-photon light sources and detectors.

Assistive Sociotechnical Systems for Individuals with Special Needs (ASSIST) Lab

The ASSIST Lab aims to help people with special needs (PSN) maintain a high quality of life through technology. PSN include people with disabilities, older persons, young children, people in the developing countries and people with low socioeconomic status and education—in general those who require special accommodation when learning and using technology

Augmented Design Lab

The Augmented Design Lab focuses on developing basic understandings of the building blocks of design, as well as creating computational assistants that enhance the capacity of humans to perform design activities.

Authentic User Experience Lab

The Authentic User Experience Lab integrates empirical and humanistic methods to conduct research with subcultures. Researchers characterize this relationship of technology with subcultures, design systems to support their notion of authenticity, and fashion new frameworks and methods to inform designs that help people strive for meaningful lives.

Broadband Communications Research Group (UCBC)

Broadband communications research at the Baskin School of Engineering.

Computer Communication Research Group (CCRG)

The Computer Communication Research Group (CCRG) is dedicated to basic and applied research in computer communication. CCRG research focuses on new algorithms, protocols, and architectures for wireless networks based on packet switching (i.e., packet-radio networks), internetworking, multipoint communication, and the control of resources by multiple administrative authorities.

Computer Vision Lab

The  UCSC Computer Vision Lab explores several aspects of computer vision, image processing, and sensor signal processing, including mobile vision, assistive technology for persons with visual impairment, visual tracking, 3-D vision, computational photography, and surveillance.

Creative Coding Lab

The UC Santa Cruz Creative Coding Lab consists of a team of interdisciplinary researchers and artists focused on applied research in interaction and visualization, and also on the exploration of experimental and creative works based on current techniques in human-computer interaction, scientific and information visualization, graphics, computer vision, immersive environments, and machine learning.

Database Group

Database research, projects, and seminars at the Baskin School of Engineering.

Design and Verification Lab

Research in software and system design methods, embedded software design, software and system verification, game theory, formal methods.

Expressive Intelligence Studio

The Expressive Intelligence Studio (EIS) is a technical and cultural research group at UC Santa Cruz directed by Professors Michael Mateas and Noah Wardrip-Fruin and dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, art, and design.

Game User Interaction and Intelligence Lab

Game design, interactive arts, interactive media are a new emerging inter- and multi-disciplinary fields that combine different disciplines, including computer science, design, art, engineering, psychology, social science, science, and business. Members of the GUII Lab focus on this emerging areas with emphasis on contributions on understanding the user experience, expanding and applying new artificial intelligence algorithms, and engineering new engaging designs.

Geo-Spatial Visualization

We are creating a consistent 4-dimensional space-time visualization of geospatial data and intelligence associated with the environment. This task requires intelligent collection of data using various sensors including a variety of cameras, LIDAR data, and multispectral imagery in all kinds of frequency bands. The spatio-temporal GIS (Geographic Information System) visualization system will bring together several layers of information including terrain data, street maps, buildings, environment data, aerial images, and mobile objects data.

Group Researching Advances in Software Engineering (GRASE)

The GRASE laboratory performs research in the areas of software evolution and reengineering, and software configuration management. Current areas of research include identifying unstable areas of evolving software, automatic generation of software configuration management repositories, and development of Web-based versioning and configuration management infrastructure.

Hardware Systems Collective

The Hardware Systems Collective (HSC) is a group of researchers from both the Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments dedicated to the study, design, and optimization of next-generation, high-performance computer systems. The HSC brings together many perspectives: circuits & VLSI (physical design, design automation, clocking, memory, thermals), architecture (hardware specialization, simulation, advanced out-of-order processors, prefetchers), and systems (storage systems, operating systems, machine learning for design, concurrency, security, programming models).

Human Aware Robotics Exploration (HARE) Lab

HARE Lab was founded by Dr. Steve McGuire at the University of California Santa Cruz in 2021. Comprised of a diverse mix of graduate and undergraduate students this lab’s overarching mission is separated into two distinct categories: the study of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and the development of prototype autonomous systems for use in support of manual applications such as labor-intensive work (notably agriculture) and in mitigating danger to emergency personnel in search and rescue operations.

Hybrid Systems Laboratory

The Hybrid Systems Laboratory (HSL) focuses on the analysis of hybrid dynamical systems and the design of hybrid feedback control algorithms. The research approach is mainly theoretical with numerical validation via simulations (though experimental validations of findings at an on-site testbed are performed at times). Particular emphasis is given to dynamical systems with nonlinear hybrid dynamics, cyber-physical systems, and feedback systems with decision-making strategies emerging in the areas of robotics, aerospace, power systems, and biology.

Information Retrieval and Knowledge Management (IKRM)

The IRKM Lab is dedicated to basic and applied research in information retrieval and data mining. Current research projects include developing a proactive information retrieval, adaptive information filtering, and collaborative personalized search, recommendation and advertising.

Interaction Dynamics Lab

The Interaction Dynamics Lab builds research tools and develops theoretical frameworks relating to storytelling and narratives in games and playful interactions, as well as virtual AI characters and social simulation in various forms.

Inter-Networking Research Group

The Internetwork Research Group ( i-NRG ) at UC Santa Cruz conducts research in the design, experimental evaluation, and implementation of network protocols for internetworks consisting of wired as well as wireless networks. Our research activities, span a number of areas in computer networks and distributed systems.

Micro Architecture at Santa Cruz

Research on computer architecture with special focus on are energy/performance trade-offs, thread level speculation, simulation tools, FPGAs, and design complexity.

Misfit Lab

The Misfit Lab consists of a team of interdisciplinary researchers and designers focused on care and access in the research areas of human-computer interaction, community, and accessibility.

Natural Language and Dialogue Systems

The NLDS lab at UCSC focuses on computational modeling of dialogue and user-generated content in social media such as weblogs.

Robotics and Control Lab

Research includes stochastic control, multi-robot systems, redundant systems, and air traffic optimization.

Social Emotional Technology Lab

The Social Emotional Technology Laboratory (SET Lab) focuses on designing, implementing, and studying human computer interaction technologies that enhance physical, social, and emotional experiences.

Systems Research Lab

The Systems Research Lab (SRL) is part of the Baskin School of Engineering at UCSC. The SRL is interested in a broad range of topics including programmable storage systems, big data storage and processing, scalable data management, distributed system performance management, and practical reproducible evaluation of computer systems. We are particularly interested in the intersection of these topics, and in their application to problems requiring inter-disciplinary collaboration. The SRL is composed of a broad range of students and collaborators from industry, government research labs, and other universities.

Tech4Good Lab

The Tech4Good Lab does research in social computing, exploring the intersection of computational systems and social interaction. The lab’s mission is to develop systems—integrating design, modeling, and algorithms—to support individual and societal flourishing in work, education, community engagement, and governance.

VLSI Design Automation

The VLSI Design Automation (VLSI-DA) group researches Integrated Circuit (IC) design and Computer-Aided Design of ICs. A specific emphasis is on the physical implementation and timing closure considering variability and reliability.