July 8, 2026 Hayley Blackburn

The two newly donated robots at the unboxing in the Kraemer Family Library.

Thanks to the generosity of donor Joanne Posner-Mayer, our campus has welcomed two “Ami Desktop” humanoid robots to campus, creating new opportunities for teaching, research and community engagement centered on robotics and physical artificial intelligence.

The robots will be housed in Kraemer Family Library and coordinated through C3 Innovation as shared university resources available to faculty, students and campus partners.

The robots were acquired entirely through Posner-Mayer’s private philanthropic gift. No university operating funds, tuition dollars, student fees or state appropriations were used to purchase the robots.

Manufactured by Engineered Arts, a robotics company based in Cornwall, United Kingdom, the Ameca robotics line is recognized internationally as one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robotics platforms. The system combines expressive human interaction with artificial intelligence to create a platform for education, research and public demonstration of emerging technologies.

One of the earliest academic partners will be the College of Engineering and Applied Science, where the robots will provide students and faculty opportunities to explore robotics, human-robot interaction and the growing field of physical AI. There are also research opportunities already being discussed with the College of Education. As UCCS continues developing opportunities in robotics education and research, Ami offers a hands-on platform for experiential learning and studies on the human-computer interaction.

Kraemer Family Library and C3 Innovation will also use Ami to expand campuswide AI literacy, helping students from every discipline engage thoughtfully with emerging technologies while exploring their opportunities, limitations and societal impacts. The robots will support classroom demonstrations, interdisciplinary research projects, student organization events, public engagement programming, K–12 STEM outreach, innovation showcases and digital storytelling.

Demonstrations and interactions are intentionally structured around educational experiences, and the robots operate within clearly defined technical and privacy limitations established for campus use.

The C3 Innovation Co-Founders Seth Porter and Ben Kwitek shared their excitement and gratitude for this gift.

“Joanne Posner-Mayer’s generosity has created an extraordinary opportunity for our students and faculty,” they said. “Her gift allows UCCS to explore one of the fastest-growing areas of technology without drawing on university operating funds, while ensuring that students across every discipline can engage with the future of robotics and artificial intelligence.”

Each college and the Division of Student Life will be invited to designate a Robot Ambassador who can connect faculty, staff and students with programming opportunities.

Later this fall, Kraemer Family Library and C3 Innovation will launch a reservation process allowing instructors, researchers, departments and recognized student organizations to request Ami for courses, research projects and campus events.

The Video Production team documented the arrival of the robots, including the unboxing, activation and first campus demonstrations, with a feature video currently in production.

Additional programming will be announced throughout the semester as Ami begins appearing during special library programming and through educational videos on the Kraemer Family Library YouTube channel.