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University of Michigan Opens Ford Motor Company Robotics Building

Published 4/2/2021
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The University of Michigan opened the $75 million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building in March of 2021 in Ann Arbor. As the new home of the U-M Robotics Institute, the 134,000-sf facility provides the College of Engineering with collaborative R&D labs, maker spaces, high-bay research areas, a three-story fly zone for autonomous aerial vehicles, a Mars yard for rover and lander prototyping, and an outdoor obstacle course for walking robots. Designed by HED, the four-story structure features an expansive atrium lobby surrounded by transparent glass-walled labs. Technology-rich classrooms accommodate a hybrid instructional model combining virtual and in-person learning. The top floor of the building houses Ford Motor Company's first robotics and mobility lab on a university campus, enabling 100 Ford researchers and engineers to develop new technological innovations in partnership with academic investigators. Ground was broken on the facility in April of 2018.

Organization Project Role
HED
Architect