A Robot Dog Is Helping the University of New Haven Showcase Its Cutting-Edge Engineering Work

It’s not every day that a robot dog walks into the State Capitol. But at the first Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) Day, the University of New Haven turned heads with SPOT, the agile, quadrupedal robot developed by Boston Dynamics.

Representing the University’s Tagliatela College of Engineering, Shayok Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., helped lead the booth, engaging with state leaders, including Governor Ned Lamont, and showcasing how technology is shaping research and education on campus.

SPOT got a lot of attention as a live, functioning robot, and that provided the opportunity to explain the kind of hands-on, high-impact work taking place at the University.

“Visibility is key,” said Dr. Mukhopadhyay. “The public and the legislators need to know what type of research capabilities and educational endeavors the University of New Haven is involved in.”

SPOT wasn’t just at the Capitol for entertainment. According to Dr. Mukhopadhyay, the robot is an important part of the University’s robotics curriculum and research agenda.

“It was memorable seeing Governor Lamont realize that this level and type of work is being done at our university,” said Dr. Mukhopadhyay.

SPOT serves as a gateway for student innovation. “New graduate students are getting started with this hardware and formulating their research questions,” Dr. Mukhopadhyay explained. “The goal is to provide an education that equips our students to tackle the challenges that the future AI-enabled embodied intelligent agents of the future pose.”

“We have submitted grants related to autonomous vehicle security,” he continued. “Multiple graduate students are getting involved with search-and-rescue-type work involving SPOT. Hands-on autonomy and robotics-related courses offered at our university prepare students to take this kind of thing on.”

Bringing SPOT to the Capitol brought him in direct contact with policymakers and industry partners, helping emphasize the role the University plays in developing talent across the state.

“Events like this help raise awareness about all we offer,” explained Dr. Mukhopadhyay, “It can also help strengthen our programs in the future if legislators are impressed with what they see – if they decide to provide future support for our activities institution wide.”

The day provided a chance to highlight a lot of the work the University is doing in robotics and beyond. This Spring the University helped establish the Connecticut AI Alliance, and students have performed outstandingly in various events, including a Hackathon and a Chem-e-Car competition.

In addition, “the University’s robotics club qualified for the international finals of the University Rover Challenge (URC 2025) for the second year in a row,” Dr. Mukhopadhyay said. “This is an extremely challenging and competitive event, with our team being much smaller in size than most of the competitors.”

This success speaks to the University’s hands-on, student-centered approach to education. Students are not only learning advanced skills—they’re applying them. It's the kind of real-world experience that sets the University’s programs apart and demonstrates what’s possible with the right support and vision.

“Ensuring this new generation of students is prepared for the challenges of robotics, AI, and future technologies is what our current efforts are aimed at,” Dr. Mukhopadhyay said. “And it’s about raising awareness about our capabilities and what we do here at the University of New Haven.”