Rony Abovitz has always seen technology as a teammate, collaborator, and amplifier. The University of Miami College of Engineering alumnus and entrepreneur often points to R2-D2 not just as a beloved science fiction character but as a model for the kind of computing he believes in: helpful, trustworthy, and a reliable partner to humans.
That same spirit of collaboration is at the heart of a new partnership between the College of Engineering and SynthBee Inc., a South Florida-based startup founded by Abovitz in 2022.
SynthBee, currently operating in stealth mode, is developing a novel technology platform called Collaborative Intelligence™ (CI) to accelerate human innovation and creativity. Unlike large-scale, opaque artificial intelligence systems focused on artificial general intelligence, SynthBee’s CI approach emphasizes human compatibility, trust, privacy, transparency, and consistent accuracy, especially in complex STEM and creative design contexts. The platform features a novel architecture and human-centered design.
The initial phase of the project focuses on a comprehensive review of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s curriculum. Faculty members are working with SynthBee through a company-funded research initiative. One area of interest is the development of SynthBees, digital twin technologies designed to help professors and students accelerate research and innovation.
“This collaboration brings SynthBee’s CI directly into the learning environment, not as a substitute for teaching and learning, but as a complement to it,” said Pratim Biswas, dean of the College of Engineering. “We’re deeply committed to integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning across our curriculum. Our innovative work with SynthBee accelerates that vision.”
For Abovitz, the partnership is personal. As a graduate student in biomedical engineering at the University, he founded what became MAKO Surgical, a robotics company that revolutionized orthopedic surgery by blending human expertise with robotic precision. More importantly, it showed that cobotics, or human-robot collaboration, could improve patient outcomes without displacing medical professionals. The MAKO robot became part of the surgical team, generating clinical, operational, and financial value for hospitals.
Now, SynthBee builds on that legacy, this time in higher education.
“Our focus is to create a safe, scalable, and reliable computing intelligence platform designed to help humans solve the most important scientific, engineering, design, and creative challenges of our time,” Abovitz said. “This platform will enhance human efficiency and create a new way forward for people and computing to build great things together.”
The partnership with the University aims to bring that vision to life on campus. SynthBee’s technology is designed to act as a teammate, supporting students as they navigate complex material and preparing them to thrive in a future shaped by responsible technological development.
Working with SynthBees may also prepare students for a near-future workplace where they manage hybrid teams of people, computers, and robots. That skill set requires systems thinking, long-term vision, and operational discipline.
Beyond the classroom, the partnership has broader implications for South Florida’s growing tech ecosystem. While the region is gaining recognition as an innovation hub, Abovitz hopes SynthBee’s work in Collaborative Intelligence™ will contribute to the narrative that world-class ideas and technology can originate in Florida. The collaboration with the University adds momentum to that vision.
For Abovitz, it is a full-circle moment. He is returning to the campus where his ideas first took shape, now reimagined for a new era of engineering breakthroughs driven by collaboration.
“I started MAKO Surgical here in South Florida, and then Magic Leap,” he said. “I hope that SynthBee can earn its place among the best technology companies in the world, founded here in Florida and with the partnership of the University of Miami.”
