UMIACS

Superposition—the idea that particles such as electrons or photons can exist in multiple states at once until they are measured—is a fundamental but challenging concept to grasp in quantum mechanics. To make that idea more accessible, the @NSF Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (@RQuantumSim) developed a hands-on activity kit for middle and high-school students. Using simple optical components, the kit introduces superposition and measurement through interactive experiments with polarized light. So far, 750 kits have been distributed in three states and Washington, D.C., with another 750 planned over the next year as the program expands.

#MayrlandDay was a blast!🐢🐢 Perception and Robotics Group showcased exciting demos from bio inspired drones to robot manipulation and more. Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by and shared excitement of robotics🤖 #MarylandDay #Robotics #UMIACS

Bees have become ideal models for AI drone technology because of their complex structures and cognitive abilities, which allow them to remember routes while creating mental maps of their surroundings. CGTN’s Frances Kuo shows shares the buzz on how bees are inspiring new tech research at the University of Maryland. #CGTNnews #WorldToday

Congrats to Andrew Childs (@andrewmchilds) for receiving the Excellence in Research Award from the Washington Academy of Sciences (@WashAcadSciDC)! He is being recognized for his work redefining quantum algorithms and building a vibrant quantum ecosystem in the DMV. go.umd.edu/29v4 #WorldQuantumDay

Imagine robots that learn, adapt, and lend a helping hand. 🤖 @UofMaryland researchers use the NVIDIA Isaac platform and hardware to train humanoid robots that can see, plan, and act with autonomy. 📖 nvda.ws/4tx0Xkv #NationalRoboticsWeek

Researchers @UofMaryland are advancing robotics with a new initiative designed to enable humanoid systems to perform complex, real-world household tasks with greater autonomy and reliability. Built on @NVIDIAAI infrastructure, the project integrates breakthroughs in trustworthy machine learning, sequential decision-making and generative AI to create robotic systems that can reason, adapt and act in dynamic home environments. The effort is led by Furong Huang (@furongh) and Tom Goldstein (@tomgoldsteincs) of @umiacs, which will install and maintain the new computing infrastructure in its high-performance data center. Learn more: umiacs.umd.edu/news-events/ne…

The recent leak of Kash Patel's personal data by Iranian hackers reflects a broad and well-understood risk tied to how people manage their digital identities, says Dave Levin (@DistributedDave) from @UofMaryland and @umiacs. Reusing usernames across platforms can allow attackers to link accounts and build a more complete picture of a person’s life, even when each account appears harmless on its own. This strategy—known as open-source intelligence gathering, or OSINT—commonly targets both high profile government officials and everyday people, Levin told @CWNewser for @TheAdvocateMag. The strategy is becoming so common, that an undergraduate at UMD is teaching a course focused on how publicly available information can be used to identify and link accounts across platforms—the same techniques attackers use in cases like this. #rebelltitem2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">advocate.com/politics/natio…

The International Society for Computational Biology (@iscb) is requesting abstract submissions for its flagship conference Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (#ISMB2026), scheduled to take place July 12-16 in Washington, D.C. Co-chaired by Professor Mihai Pop, the conference is accepting abstracts until April 9. Learn more: iscb.org/ismb2026/call-…

Led by Mohammad Hajiaghayi (@MTHajiaghayi) and Reza Ghanadan, researchers from @UofMaryland & @MIT will develop AI-driven “co-authors” capable of helping mathematicians break down extremely complex problems and uncover new insights. today.umd.edu/umd-to-lead-da…

Excited that our project HomeGraph in collaboration with @tomgoldsteincs has been selected for the NVIDIA Academic Grant Program! We’re building tool-native GR00T humanoid robots using a unified scene–skill graph for long-horizon household autonomy. Grateful for NVIDIA’s support with RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs and Jetson AGX Thor to push this research forward. Special shoutout to @ruijie_zheng12, now at NVIDIA’s GEAR Lab, who played a major role in early GR00T work while in my lab. Excited to continue collaborating. Looking forward to building on our partnership with @DrJimFan and @yukez and advancing the future of generalist robotics. Research supported by the NVIDIA Academic Grant Program. #NVIDIAGrant @NVIDIAAIDev

#TRAILSCon2026 was packed with presentations and panels on real-world approaches to evaluating AI performance, risk, and impact.

Tom Goldstein (@tomgoldsteincs) was honored at the 2026 Maryland Research Excellence Celebration for his influential work in machine learning and AI security. With more than 9,000 Google Scholar citations annually and an h-index exceeding 90, he ranks among the most highly cited scholars in his field. Read more about the event: today.umd.edu/new-presidents…

This compelling research from our @UMDScience, @umiacs and UM-IHC researchers on digital tools and the placebo effect can inform the next generation of digital therapeutics for pain management. today.umd.edu/umd-led-study-…

TRAILS is launching 11 Broader Impact Awards to expand access to trustworthy AI. These grants—up to $25K apiece—support projects @UofMaryland, @MorganStateU and @GWtweets to empower diverse stakeholder communities to engage with and influence the future of AI. trails.umd.edu/news/trails-an…

An ultra-low-power spatial sensing system designed for miniature mobile robots, developed by @umiacs-affiliated researchers, was recently featured @CACMmag: cacm.acm.org/research-highl… Co-authored by Yang Bai (@FighterYangbai8), Nakul Garg (@nakulgarg22) and Nirupam Roy(@NeeeRooo9), the paper explains how they designed the system to meet the strict power and hardware constraints of micro-robot platforms. Bai completed her Ph.D. @umdcs and is now a machine learning scientist @Apple. Garg, who also earned his Ph.D. @umdcs, is now an assistant professor @RiceECE. Roy is an associate professor @umdcs with an appointment @umiacs.

Research by computer science Ph.D. student Seungjae Lee (@JayLEE_0301) will enable robots to learn not only from their own physical experiences, but also from the vast reservoir of human activity captured online. today.umd.edu/can-household-…