Abstract: Superconducting qubits are coherent artificial atoms assembled from electrical circuit elements. Their lithographic scalability, compatibility with microwave control, and operability at nanosecond time scales all converge to make the superconducting qubit a highly attractive candidate for the constituent logical elements of a quantum information processor. Over the past decade, spectacular improvement in the manufacturing and control of these devices has moved superconducting qubits from the realm of scientific curiosity to the threshold of technical reality. In this talk, we review this progress and our own work at Massachusetts Instittute of Technology that are creating a future of engineered quantum systems.