Charlotte AI Research
Student organization at UNC Charlotte
Student organization at UNC Charlotte
CAIR is a student-led organization at UNC Charlotte focused on building practical AI skills through collaborative, hands-on projects.
We bring together students from all backgrounds to work on semester-long projects, participate in paper reading groups, and explore real-world applications of artificial intelligence alongside peers and mentors.
Our lab in Woodward 421A serves as a shared workspace for project work, weekly discussions, workshops, and informal brainstorming. It’s an open, welcoming place where ideas turn into prototypes and members learn by doing.
CAIR’s mission is to grow a supportive community that applies AI responsibly and creatively, making it more accessible, relevant, and impactful for both students and the broader community.
Join our discord!
Email us at airesearch@charlotte.edu
Membership
Membership is open to all students interested in artificial intelligence, regardless of experience level. Whether you're a beginner curious about AI or an advanced researcher, there's a place for you in our community.
Leadership
Join our leadership team and help shape the future of AI research on campus. Leadership positions offer opportunities to develop management skills, lead projects, and make a lasting impact on our organization.
Important Links
Current Project (Spring 2026)
Wally is a research-driven robotics project focused on fully autonomous indoor navigation and real-time 3D mapping. We aim to build an end-to-end system where a robot navigates complex indoor spaces without human control while generating a live, high-fidelity 3D model. The resulting maps will be used for downstream simulations such as airflow and disease transmission.
Neural Encoding focuses on non-invasive brain–computer interfaces, using lightweight wearable devices to interact with computers and AI models. The goal is to develop meaningful neural representations that enable real-time control, prediction, and human–AI interaction using accessible consumer-grade hardware.
AI Literacy focuses on making AI accessible across the university through workshops, outreach, and hands-on learning. The goal is to help students of all backgrounds understand, communicate, and responsibly engage with AI.
Cerebra is an AI-powered Discord chatbot that answers questions about CAIR, university resources, and courses. It also boosts server engagement with research highlights, industry updates, and discussion prompts, while serving as a hands-on project for learning and practicing real-world AI project development and management.
StrikeSense is a mobile-first AI training platform that uses real-time, low-latency 3D pose estimation to analyze and improve striking technique in combat sports, with an initial focus on boxing fundamentals.
QML Torch is a research-focused project exploring hybrid quantum–classical machine learning models through hands-on experimentation. The project integrates parameterized quantum circuits into standard ML training pipelines to benchmark their performance against classical models, emphasizing reproducibility, clear evaluation, and research-quality artifacts that demystify when and how quantum machine learning is useful in practice.
CAIR Reads is a casual, collaborative AI research reading group focused on discussing papers and ideas together. It’s a space to stay current with cutting-edge research, practice technical communication, and build shared understanding—whether you’re interested in AI in academia or industry.
CAIR Newsletter is a public-facing platform for exploring and communicating ideas about AI. It brings together technical and non-technical voices to write about AI systems, research, ethics, and real-world applications, helping contributors develop clear thinking, strong communication skills, and visible, resume-ready work.
Past Projects / On Hold
Apollo is a student-led autonomous robotics initiative focused on building intelligent, real-world AI systems. The project integrates perception, navigation, and decision-making on a mobile robot platform to explore applied AI research, hands-on engineering, and campus-scale autonomy through iterative development and live demonstrations.
Intelligent Tutor is an AI-driven learning system that generates assessments, analyzes performance, and builds dynamic learner profiles to personalize instruction. By identifying knowledge gaps and recommending the right next steps, the project supports mastery learning and scalable, self-guided education across disciplines.
Closet Canvas is an AI-powered personal styling platform that analyzes body shape and coloring from images to deliver personalized clothing recommendations. By explaining why items work for each individual, the project aims to boost confidence, simplify shopping, and reduce waste through more informed fashion choices.
Leadership Team
President
Vice President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Projects Director
Outreach Director
Onboarding Director
Creative Director
Neural Encoding Lead