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Fujitsu Joins Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Innovation Center
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Fujitsu Limited is expanding its robotics and artificial intelligence operations into Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) at Hazelwood Green in Pittsburgh, strengthening a nearly three-decade research relationship. The move, announced by the university, positions Fujitsu as the second corporate tenant at the $150,000-square-foot facility, joining startup FieldAI. This expansion is directly tied to the recently established Fujitsu-Carnegie Mellon Physical AI Research Center, which aims to develop AI systems that operate safely in real-world environments.
The collaboration between Fujitsu and Carnegie Mellon spans nearly 30 years, focusing on robotics and AI research. The new Physical AI Research Center brings together experts in robotics, machine learning, language technologies, human-computer interaction, engineering, and philosophy. Researchers from both entities will work on technologies supporting automation and intelligent systems in manufacturing, logistics, and infrastructure.
The Robotics Innovation Center, which opened earlier this year, provides state-of-the-art facilities including high bay robotics labs, collaboration spaces, a motion-capture studio, drone cage, water tank, and outdoor testing area. Fujitsu’s researchers and engineers will gain direct access to these resources, enabling work on action generation and learning, spatial perception, multirobot coordination, and human-robot interaction.
This partnership underscores the growing trend of industry-academia collaboration in physical AI, where robots and AI systems interact with the physical world. By embedding corporate researchers within a university setting, the RIC aims to accelerate the development of reliable AI systems for real-world applications. The presence of Fujitsu and FieldAI demonstrates the center’s appeal to industry leaders.
Martial Hebert, dean of CMU’s School of Computer Science, emphasized the value of close collaboration: “Fujitsu has long been an important collaborator with Carnegie Mellon, enabling our researchers to work alongside their scientists, engineers, and technicians to develop physical AI systems designed to tackle real-world challenges. Having Fujitsu in the RIC will create new opportunities for students, faculty, and industry teams to work side by side.”
Vivek Mahajan, corporate executive officer and chief technical officer at Fujitsu, stated: “CMU has long been a global leader in robotics and AI research, and the RIC provides a unique environment where researchers, engineers, and students can collaborate using world-class facilities to advance physical AI technologies. We believe this partnership will accelerate innovation and help bring reliable physical AI systems into real-world applications that benefit society.”
Carnegie Mellon also announced that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro provided a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant to develop a Physical AI Accelerator inside the RIC. The facility was made possible by a lead gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and is part of the broader Hazelwood Green research and manufacturing ecosystem. Looking ahead, the RIC expects to attract more corporate partners, further solidifying Pittsburgh as a hub for robotics and AI innovation.
