Spotlight On: Vu Nguyen, Co-Director of Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy, Carnegie Mellon University
Key points:
- • Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy is preparing students for an AI-driven workforce.
- • Employer partnerships keep robotics training aligned with real-world needs.
- • Problem-solving skills remain essential as robotics technology rapidly evolves.
August 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Co-Director Vu Nguyen discussed how Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy develops research-backed curricula, prepares educators to teach robotics, and aligns workforce programs with employers’ needs. Nguyen also highlighted the academy’s applied artificial intelligence training and its access to real-world robotics research at Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center. Emphasizing the importance of durable skills in a rapidly changing field, Nguyen said, “Specific hardware will eventually become outdated, but the problem-solving skills students develop will remain the same.”
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How is the Robotics Academy evolving its programs to prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce?
The Robotics Academy at Carnegie Mellon University has been around since 2000. We started by teaching students through summer robotics camps. We wanted to engage more students, and we realized that doing so required us to engage educators. That turned out to be a wonderful model.
We develop curricula, teaching resources, and games that make teachers’ lives easier, especially in robotics education. Teachers are sometimes told they need to teach robotics even though they may have previously taught art, history, or another subject. That can create a lot of anxiety. We provide step-by-step lessons, courses, and programs that help them become comfortable with the material.
Our approach is research-backed. We pursue funding from the National Science Foundation and other research sources to answer questions about education and learning. Building our work on research is something we will always do.
We have also been fortunate to create resources and games with a broad reach. One game that we co-designed with children in the Pittsburgh region had nearly 4 million active users over the past 12 months. We work with children to create these games because we know that if they help design the experience, it will be exciting for other children. We are a small team, but we try to make a big impact globally.
How do partnerships with employers help ensure that the curriculum reflects real-world workforce needs?
We have a workforce development initiative called the SMART Robotics Technician Program. It is registered in Pennsylvania as a pre-apprenticeship program, meaning it must be connected to apprenticeship programs. Those apprenticeship programs are tied to jobs and employers.
The program teaches the foundational skills needed to succeed in a robotics technician role. At its core, it was created by observing and interviewing robotics technicians from manufacturers, robotics companies, and technology vendors. We wanted to identify the cross-cutting skills required for success.
We could not create the program by assuming which skills were important. We needed to ask employers what they require, which tools they use, and what kind of co-worker they want on their teams. That includes employability skills such as collaboration, checking a colleague’s work, and communicating effectively.
Different regions may have different challenges and areas of focus. Pittsburgh’s needs might not be the same as those of Nevada or California. However, generalizable problem-solving abilities are valuable across industries and sectors. We know that robots and other technologies can become obsolete within months or years. The hardware is going to be outdated, but the problem-solving skills will remain the same.
How does the academy translate cutting-edge robotics research into accessible learning experiences?
We are located at the National Robotics Engineering Center, one of Carnegie Mellon University’s applied research facilities. The projects developed here may involve government and defense contracts, corporate sponsorships, or other research sources. The result is real robots addressing real-world problems.
Some of these solutions may not be visible to the public for another 10 or 15 years, but we can see the work being done here. That allows us to draw inspiration for our educational programs on real-world applications that students might otherwise not encounter for a long time.
Students learn how to program robots to perform specific actions and use decision-based logic. By gaining those capabilities now, they can develop skills that will help them succeed when these technologies become more widely available. I attribute much of our success to Carnegie Mellon University and to our exposure to the work happening at the National Robotics Engineering Center.
What professional development opportunities help teachers become more confident with robotics and computer science?
Engaging with teachers is one of our favorite things to do. We provide online and in-person training, and we sometimes travel to a school or organization when it has 10, 12, or more educators who need training. It can be more cost-effective to send one of us to them than to bring the entire group to Pittsburgh.
During in-person training, educators from around the world work through the same student-facing materials their classes will use. They encounter the same problems students are likely to experience. A robot may not work as expected, or a teacher may become confused about a programming concept. We want educators to experience those situations because overcoming the challenges themselves prepares them to guide students later.
A student might say the robot is broken when the real issue is a misunderstanding of how the robot or program is supposed to work. We teach educators how to step back, examine the code, and walk students through the problem-solving process. Our goal is for teachers to leave feeling comfortable because they have had hands-on experience with the robots. We also show them how to use our learning management system to track progress.
Online training cannot completely replace being together in person, but we try to make it fun and interactive. We want teachers to feel comfortable asking questions while working through the material.
How does the academy keep its programs current as technology changes?
We are fortunate to be able to react quickly. Our team consists of seven people who are learning scientists, programmers, multimedia developers, artists, curriculum developers, technology developers, and educators. We wear many hats, but our small size allows us to move quickly when new data, employer feedback, or grant-funded opportunities emerge.
Artificial intelligence, for example, is becoming part of nearly every field. We developed additional modules focused on applied AI and robotics, including one called Autonomy Foundations. The word “applied” is important. Many AI courses focus on software, such as chatbots or digital image generation. Our program applies AI through a physical robot.
Learners collect data involving images, routes, or objects a robot must avoid. They learn how to gather quality data, assess confidence levels, and use AI to produce specific robotic behaviors. We incorporated that work into robotics operator and maintainer training for the U.S. military. Participants have come from the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Coast Guard, reflecting how important robotics operation, maintenance, and AI have become.
We build on existing programs as needs evolve. Sometimes we have only a few weeks to create new activities and challenges. We must meet the standards schools or the military require, while also providing feedback about which additional skills may be essential.
Our robotics operator and maintainer training currently lasts six weeks. After each cohort, we ask what worked, what did not, and what participants would add. We can incorporate that feedback within a few weeks so the next group receives an improved experience. The program is constantly changing.
Which industries are likely to experience the greatest impact from robotics and AI?
There are many potential areas, but education will remain a major focus for us. AI is still so new that many school districts are trying to determine appropriate boundaries. They are asking whether students should use it, under which parameters, and how they can make its use safe. Students should be able to learn from AI and use it to make their lives easier without allowing it to hinder learning.
AI is a pervasive technology that will be everywhere, so schools need to teach students how to use it. The remaining questions involve the best methods and responsible and age-appropriate boundaries for doing that.
In Pittsburgh, we also see significant relevance for manufacturing and technology. Logistics, warehouse management, and manufacturing are applying these tools to improve operations, gather data faster, identify potential problems earlier, and strengthen quality control. Companies are using AI and robotics to become more efficient while producing higher-quality results.
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