Summary
The Information Systems program at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) hosted a live demonstration of "BARQ," an autonomous quadrupedal robotic dog designed to deliver orders in hospitality environments. Developed under the university's iX EmTech Lab, the project engaged students in end-to-end programming, workflow design, and operational deployment.
DOHA, Qatar — Students, staff and faculty in the Information Systems program at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) held a live demonstration event for the CMU-Q community and industry experts. The BARQ Robot Dog Showcase provided a hands-on look at the future of service automation. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
During the interactive event, attendees took seats at restaurant dining tables, placed their orders, and watched as BARQ—an autonomous quadrupedal robot—navigated the space to deliver food directly to their tables. The demonstration highlighted how robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems can integrate into real-world service and hospitality environments.
The BARQ project is part of the newly established iX EmTech Lab at CMU-Q, which will officially launch later this semester. The lab is an applied AI and emerging-technology incubator led by Nui Vatanasakdakul, associate area head and teaching professor of information systems. The lab provides students an environment to move beyond classroom theory by designing, testing, and deploying practical technology solutions.
Project BARQ illustrates the lab’s cross-disciplinary, hands-on approach. IS students worked alongside faculty and staff across every phase of the showcase, managing the technical development and programming of the robot, the user experience, workflow architecture, and systems operations.
“The iX Lab was built to bridge the gap between abstract technology concepts and tangible solutions,” said Vatanasakdakul. “Seeing our students design both the technical backend and the end-to-end customer experience for BARQ demonstrates the true power of applied Information Systems education.”
The event also served as an important touchpoint between students and industry. Members of the Snoonu engineering team attended to provide industry perspectives on technical workflows and robotics integration.
In addition to Information Systems, CMU-Q offers undergraduate degree programs in Artificial Intelligence, Biological Sciences, Business Administration and Computer Science.
