Prototyping
Labs

The large cooperative work area at the center of the Labs is affectionately called the Makerspace. This area includes worktables, model-making supplies, drawing tools, and a variety of other maker technologies that don’t fit the confines of a specific lab. Students, faculty, staff, and other members of our community interact and collaborate on design and prototyping solutions that address the unique challenges of their projects. Here you can explore form-finding, fabrication, and assembly techniques, and create complex parts and assemblies using computer-controlled equipment.

The Robotics Lab is a multi-functional workspace that includes individual workstations, electronics workbenches, and mobility and manipulation robots for project use. Here you have access to a variety of robotics platforms and environments to explore human-robot interactions, including robotics pens, multiple Kinova manipulator arms, a drone net, and other tools for creating robotics solutions that can sense, navigate, and manipulate the dynamic world around them.

The Hardware Prototyping Lab is a dedicated space for developing, testing, and fabricating electronics hardware prototypes. It houses several fully equipped electronic workstations, a full line of printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping equipment, and a library of materials and components available to all users.

At the heart of the Prototyping Labs students will find a variety of specialized tools and work areas that collectively comprise “The Shops.” Engaging with these facilities, which includes a wood and plastics shop, a milling and machine room, a CNC router room, a paint booth, and a large-format laser, you can learn to manipulate physical materials in three dimensions. Here you can explore form-finding, fabrication, and assembly techniques, and create complex parts and assemblies using computer-controlled equipment.

The Rapid Prototyping Bay adjacent to the Makerspace houses a variety of self-service and full-service 3D printing and laser cutting technologies. Laser cutting and 3D printing are the most popular maker technologies in the Prototyping Labs. With more than 6 laser cutters and 30 3D printers of various types, the Labs have substantial capacity for rapid prototyping.