Waterloo Engineering has the largest and most active robotics and automation research group in Canada, supporting Canada's largest robotics and automation cluster (via WaterlooEDC).
With over 45 faculty members solving problems in advanced robotics, autonomous systems, human-robot interaction, and related fields, Waterloo is where the future of robotics is being developed.
Our mission is to make significant advancements in robotics, from fundamental research through design and development to commercial applications including robots that build cars, explore space, deliver coffee, defuse land mines, or perform surgery.
For more details, check out the Robotics @ Waterloo page.
What's the RoboHub?
The Waterloo RoboHub is the home of robotics at the University of Waterloo, bringing together all of the related technical, educational, research, and other services and experience into one central group.
Visit the About the RoboHub section of the website for more details on our team, fleet, facilities, and research themes.
News
RoboHub Student News: SIRRL Student Soomin Shin wins Waterloo Data & AI Institute Scholarship
ECE PhD student Soomin Shin has been awarded a $15,000 scholarship from the Waterloo Data and AI Institute, recognizing her innovative research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and real-world physical systems.
Supervised by Dr. Kerstin Dautenhahn, Shin is a member of the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL), where researchers explore how robots can interact with people in meaningful, socially aware ways. Her work focuses on building scalable social robot systems that can operate sustainably in real-world environments by integrating advanced AI capabilities.
RoboHub Research News: Prof. Carolyn Ren and team develop a soft robot to help with cancer recovery
A Waterloo Engineering research team is helping cancer survivors manage lymphedema with a smartphone-sized, portable compression sleeve that lets patients move freely during therapy.
Dr. Carolyn Ren, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Microfluidic Technologies, leads the Waterloo Microfluidics Laboratory (WML). Her team has engineered a soft-robotic compression sleeve to replace bulky, expensive clinical devices that hinder movement.
RoboHub Student News: ECE MASc student Alicia Pan wins first place at GRADflix
Electrical and Computer Engineering MASc student Alicia Pan has won first place at the University of Waterloo’s GRADflix Showcase on March 10, where graduate students present their research through short, engaging videos designed for a broad audience.
Pan’s winning video, “Meet Mirrly: A Social Robot for the Eye Doctor’s Office,” introduces Mirrly, a robot designed in collaboration with the RoboHub to help children with amblyopia (lazy eye) follow their eye-patching treatment.
Events
Waterloo RoboHub Spring Symposium (2026)
Join Us for the next Waterloo RoboHub Symposium!
Join us on campus on April 17th for our next symposium: an interdisciplinary event where thought leaders from across the private and public sectors will come together to discuss and learn about both current and future applications of human-centric robotics and related technologies, including the current attention surrounding humanoid robots.
The day will include talks and panels from experts in diverse fields with critical insights into human-centric robotics, as well as exhibitors and lightning talks from across our community.