Building for century-scale robotics innovation: Lessons from CMU's game-changing research facility

This session examines the industry drivers and facility planning approaches foundational to Carnegie Mellon University’s just-opened Robotics Innovation Center -- the nation's most comprehensive robotics research environment --uniquely integrating unprecedented scale, diverse technical resources, community engagement spaces, and public exhibits under one roof. Presenters share candid lessons learned during initial operations, detail successful design decisions and mid-course corrections, and demonstrate adaptive planning methodologies for creating century-long research infrastructure in rapidly evolving fields. They address technical functionality optimization, community outreach integration, and technology heritage preservation while outlining expansion strategies as the building, site, and surrounding community evolve together.