A Boston University robotics lab is now open.
The $8.8 million Boston University Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching and Innovation Center intends to allow students from the undergraduate to doctorate levels to be better positioned to enter the AI or robotics industries or start their own ventures, said Kenn Sebasta, executive director of RASTIC.
“I’m from the startup world. I do like the move fast and break things approach,” Sebasta said.
Its goal is to enable students to work through real problems in robotics that exist outside of the academic sphere. Some of the current projects involve creating robots to make driving safer, make brain surgery better, and investigate spaces with radiation.
The lab was originally supposed to open in summer 2023, but construction delays pushed the timeline back, according to a spokesperson for Boston University.
The 2,000-square-foot lab space has room to test out small self-driving vehicles in a mock city, as well as smaller robots that brew coffee or assist with hand movements.
The center is also partnering with businesses in the robotics industry, including ASML and Amazon Robotics, to advise students.
The center was jointly funded by BU and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and is an example of the type of initiatives that would receive funding from Gov. Maura Healey's new Mass Leads Act, said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao.
“We’re not solving problems just to make a quick buck. We’re solving problems [to] really create value for people.” Hao said.
The center is part of a workforce development initiative, meant to help meet the demand for talent in robotics and AI, and well as an investment in research and development to keep Massachusetts on the cutting edge.
“I think where we’re gonna lead in AI is AI applied into different sectors and AI embedded in different places, like AI embedded in robotics,” said Hao.
Artificial intelligence is an area of focus in the bill, with $100 million earmarked for the Apllied AI Hub. The AI task force met for the first time last week, Hao said.
The center’s grand opening was March 4. Students began working in the space on Feb. 14, according to Sebasta.
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