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Photos: Mallard ducks, robot demos and Mars rover upgrades

A macro closeup of water droplets on a mallard duck's head.
A Mallard duck swims in the Northeastern koi pond. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
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This week, Huskies (and mallard ducks) in Boston soaked up some rare sun rays. We may still be waiting on summer weather, but summer semester is officially underway. The Northeastern Mars Rover team is headed to the global University Rover Challenge in Utah, and students tested robot demos at the Physical AI Initiative launch event in the ISEC building. Good luck, Huskies!

Srikeerthi Bhupathuraju sits while working on the Mars Rover team's machine, illuminated by blue light.
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
An exterior shot of a student inside Snell Library.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A member of the Northeastern community studies in Snell Library on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A close up of white blossoms blooming.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – White flowers bloom in spring on Northeastern’s arboretum on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A mallard duck stands in the koi pond creating water ripples.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Mallard ducks swim in the Northeastern Koi Pond on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A person in a hoodie sits outside while using a laptop.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A member of the Northeastern community studies outside ISEC on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A person holding a blue umbrella walks up stairs painted with colorful murals.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A member of the Northeastern community carries an umbrella up the stairs by the Daniel Anguilu mural on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Photos by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
An exterior shot of the ISEC building during sunrise.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Morning sun illuminates the ISEC building on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A close up of orange and red flower blossoms in shadow.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Two people walk across the pedestrian bridge.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Students cross over the pedestrian bridge on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A person with a backpack walks across the pedestrian bridge, backing the camera.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Students cross over the pedestrian bridge on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
An exterior shot of the ISEC building during sunrise.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Morning sun illuminates the ISEC building on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
People mingle and watch a presentation during a Physical AI Research Initiative.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Scenes during the Physical AI Research Initiative Launch event held in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A Ph.S. student uses an AI demo, showing their recording on a computer screen with code in the background.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – PhD student Rahul Chowdhury tries a Physical AI demo during the Physical AI Research Initiative Launch event held in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A close up a robot arm.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – PhD student Sakib Rez demonstrates a robot during the Physical AI Research Initiative Launch event held in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A Ph.D. student interacts with a robot demo.
PhD student Sakib Rez interacts with a Physical AI robot demo during the Physical AI Research Initiative Launch event held in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Students watch a presentation with a robot, featuring a person jumping in the air to kick the bipedal robot in the back.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Yanzhi Wang, professor of electrical and computer engineering, demonstrates Physical AI research during the Physical AI Research Initiative Launch event held in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A mallard duck swims with koi fish visible below the surface of the water.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Mallard ducks swim in the Northeastern Koi Pond on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Mallard ducks swim in the Northeastern Koi Pond on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A macro closeup of a mallard duck's head with water droplets.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Mallard ducks swim in the Northeastern Koi Pond on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Photos by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A stock photo of the ChatGPT app on a phone screen.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – ChatGPT app on an iPhone on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A stock photo of a person typing on a laptop with a camera effect making the image on screen 3D.
05/20/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Computer stock on May 20, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Students sit and lay outside in the Centennial Common.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Students study at Centennial Common on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
An exterior shot of a Northeastern building.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Northeastern sign on Ell Hall on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A students sits outside on a low brick wall while working on a laptop.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A student works on a project at Snell Quad on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A person walks past a colorful painted mural.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A member of the Northeastern community is seen walking down Huntington Ave. on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A top down view of a person sitting in a lawn chair by the koi pond.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A student works on a project at the Koi Pond on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A person wearing headphones walks through campus with a wall in the background that says 'experience'.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A student walks through campus on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A students skateboards down the sidewalks by a busy street on campus.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A student skateboards down Huntington Avenue on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A students sitting in a blue lawn chair writes on a tablet.
05/12/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A student works on a project in West Village on May 18, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A closeup of Srikeerthi Bhupathuraju's hands working on the team's mars rover machine.
05/18/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Srikeerthi Bhupathuraju, a rising third year mechanical engineering major, works on the Mars rover on Monday, May 18, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A close look at the inside of the university's Mars Rover team machine.
05/18/26 – BOSTON, MA. – The Northeastern Mars Rover team works on their rover on Monday, May 18, 2026 before heading to a competition at the Mars Society’s Desert Research Station outside of Hanksville, Utah. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A close up of the inside machinery of the team's mars rover.
05/18/26 – BOSTON, MA. – The Northeastern Mars Rover team works on their rover on Monday, May 18, 2026 before heading to a competition at the Mars Society’s Desert Research Station outside of Hanksville, Utah. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Students Shaan Merchant and Anthony Wang work in a robotics lab surrounded by blue light in preparation for the University Rover Challenge.
05/18/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Shaan Merchant, a rising third year computer engineering major, and Anthony Wang, a rising second year electrical and computer engineering major, work on the Mars rover on Monday, May 18, 2026 before heading to a competition at the Mars Society’s Desert Research Station outside of Hanksville, Utah. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A Northeastern student works on the Mars Rover team's machine, built by students.
05/18/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Salem Chen, a rising second year mechanical engineering major works on the arm remote of the Mars rover on Monday, May 18, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Photos by Alyssa Stone/Norhteastern University
A student wearing a backpack walks through a shadowed part of campus.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Students walk through campus on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A closeup of the leaves on a Japanese maple tree.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Morning light illuminates a Japanese maple next to Curry Student Center on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A student walks through campus reflected in a puddle.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Members of the Northeastern community walk toward Snell Library on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
The silhouette of a students walking down the busy Huntington Ave street.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A student is silhouetted while walking down Huntington Ave. on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A students with a flower in their hair walks through campus.
05/19/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Students walk through campus on May 19, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A closeup of long red flower blossoms.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Flowers bloom on trees in Northeastern’s arboretum on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Two students walk through campus, one pulling a carry-on luggage.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Members of the Northeastern community walk as pink tulips bloom in Northeastern’s arboretum on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Close up of pink and white flower blossoms.
05/15/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Pink tulips bloom in Northeastern’s arboretum on Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Photos by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A helicopter flies low above campus with buildings in the background.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A helicopter hovers over Northeastern’s Boston campus on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A helicopter flies low above campus with the city skyline in the background.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A helicopter hovers over Northeastern’s Boston campus on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A closeup of a helicopter flying over campus.
05/21/26 – BOSTON, MA. – A helicopter hovers over Northeastern’s Boston campus on May 21, 2026. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

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