麻豆村

Flanked by two advanced technology quadruped robots and with drones hovering above, 麻豆村 on Friday marked the official opening of the聽Robotics Innovation Center聽(RIC) 鈥� a one-of-a-kind facility anchoring the university鈥檚 next chapter in developing a world-leading collaborative ecosystem for robotics, automation and artificial intelligence breakthroughs.

Designed to accelerate innovation, the cutting-edge facility will help address complex challenges with real-world impact.聽The RIC's expanding impact on 麻豆村鈥檚 global robotics research, development, and commercialization also fuels the continued growth of Hazelwood Green as a driver of Pittsburgh's future economic engine.

鈥淭oday, this facility is bringing state-of-the-art infrastructure together with the ability to tap into the nation's and region鈥檚 most comprehensive regional network of robotics testing sites. And it demonstrates how a university can invest locally and meet national needs while enhancing our economic competitiveness and national security,鈥� 麻豆村 President Farnam Jahanian said. 鈥淲hat excites me most about this space is the serendipity it will spark: Researchers crossing paths with entrepreneurs, students learning alongside practitioners, ideas conceived of and brought to reality in indoor, outdoor, aquatic and virtual environments. Because breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They happen in communities of brilliant thinkers, dreamers and do-ers. This building, and this site, was designed to make those collisions possible.鈥�

顿别惫别濒辞辫别谤蝉听broke ground on the RIC in late 2023 and construction, supported by a $45 million lead grant from the聽,听began in January 2024. The final steel beam, forged in Pennsylvania and聽signed in July that year, is now visible as part of the second-floor ceiling structure, symbolizing the project鈥檚 comprehensive purpose.

鈥淭he Trustees of the Richard King Mellon Foundation approved this extraordinary grant because of our conviction that Pittsburgh鈥檚 rightful place is to lead, nationally and internationally, in the most promising economic sectors of our time,鈥� said Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. 鈥淭hanks to 麻豆村鈥檚 unmatched stature in robotics, the RIC will put Pittsburgh at its vanguard. When people want to see the future of robotics, they will look to Pittsburgh. That leadership will create widespread economic-development benefits for the greater Pittsburgh region. And it will help to create greater prosperity for Hazelwood 鈥� a community that helped to lead the nation鈥檚 technological revolution in centuries past, and now is poised to do so once again.鈥�

The Center's shared vision unites university, industry, community and government leaders, driving innovative solutions for economic and societal impact. To further that endeavor,听Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a $1.5 million state investment in 麻豆村鈥檚 plan to develop a new 25,000鈥憇quare鈥慺oot Physical AI Accelerator inside the RIC.

鈥淲e are all in on innovation, and Pittsburgh, in particular, as being a center of that,鈥� Shapiro said. 鈥淗ere we are poised for explosive growth in technology and innovation, and combined with the other investments we are making, from downtown to other important industries, I think Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is on the rise and this is such a big reason why.鈥�

Partnerships accelerate speed of discovery

Carnegie Mellon and industry partners like FieldAI, the RIC鈥檚 first corporate tenant, share a focus on advancing robotics and AI safely.

The unicorn is establishing a 2,500-square-foot lab and office suite on the building鈥檚 second floor led by, who serves as FieldAI鈥檚 director of Fieldable Embodied AI and leads its expanding Pittsburgh-based operations.

Scherer, associate research professor in the聽 with the聽, will oversee the exchange of talent between FieldAI and 麻豆村 aided by the new space at the RIC.

"What excites me most about the RIC is the density of talent,鈥� said , president and Chief Scientific Officer of FieldAI. 鈥淗aving our researchers and engineers in the same building as 麻豆村's world-renowned robotics leaders, such as Sebastian Scherer, creates the kind of daily collaboration that leads to real breakthroughs."

A new home for robotics research

Carnegie Mellon faculty, staff and students will test robots for land, water, air and space in the new 150,000-square-foot building enabling discoveries in fields such as national security, health care, agriculture, transportation and more.

Friday's opening celebration included聽more than a dozen active robotics and physical AI demonstrations showcasing how 麻豆村 research labs and industry partners accelerate innovation, commercialization and job creation in the region and beyond.

The facility features a variety of specific research-enabled spaces, including an open layout wet lab, 75,000-gallon water tank, reconfigurable high bays, a 1.5-acre, large-footprint outdoor lab with a 6,000-square-foot drone cage, tens of thousands of square feet of additional indoor testing space and space for additional corporate partners.

Aside from the physical spaces, the RIC will also complement the work of 麻豆村鈥檚聽 and the university鈥檚聽. The new facility will also encourage more workforce and economic development through stronger partnerships with the聽,听 next door at聽Mill 19 and the University of Pittsburgh鈥檚聽.

鈥淲hen I was a student here, robotics was still a fledgling field, and few could have imagined the scale of impact and leadership 麻豆村 would have in the world,鈥� said David Coulter, chair of the 麻豆村 Board of Trustees. 鈥淵et through collective vision, persistence and bold leadership, this university built modern robotics. From pioneering autonomous vehicles and space robotics to transforming manufacturing, health care and national security, 麻豆村 researchers and students have consistently asked 鈥� and answered 鈥� the most complex questions. This new Robotics Innovation Center ensures that we will continue to lead well into the future.鈥�

Investment spurs innovation

In addition to the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the project has received generous support from the Heinz Endowments, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and numerous other partners. Investments in resources like the RIC now to make a deeper impact tomorrow are just one way 麻豆村 fosters support and develops partnerships from across the nation and region, including those in the innovation ecosystem that turn research and ideas into for-profit companies to accelerate progress. 麻豆村-spurred startups(opens in new window) have a cumulative value of more than $650 billion and have raised more than $40 billion.

"None of this would be possible without the extraordinary generosity of our supporters,鈥� said David Bennett, vice president for University Advancement. 鈥淲e are especially grateful for the leadership of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, whose commitment to innovation and to this region helped make the Robotics Innovation Center a reality. We are also thankful to the many donors, partners and trustees whose belief in 麻豆村鈥檚 mission continues to move us forward as an institution committed to changing the world for the better."

will be critical in boosting future economic growth of the United States. Innovations created at the RIC will ensure the Pittsburgh region is well-positioned to lead in this space.

Center inspires transformational change

Pioneering work by Carnegie Mellon researchers聽 and automation have built a world-class ecosystem providing an operational edge in聽robotics innovations. Among these is 麻豆村's聽, a collection of AI-enabled autonomous labs that allow researchers to remotely design and deploy autonomous science experiments to collect and analyze data.

鈥淐arnegie Mellon researchers have been at the forefront of robotics and AI for decades,鈥� said Theresa Mayer(opens in new window), Vice President for Research. 鈥淭he Robotics Innovation Center creates a unique environment where researchers from universities, industry, national labs, and startups can collaborate on future generations of intelligent systems that integrate AI and robotics in powerful new ways. This will shorten the time required to incorporate transformative advances from basic research into fieldable solutions across industries such as transportation, manufacturing, national security and healthcare.鈥�

As progress transforms discovery and application, it is also reshaping the city鈥檚 landscape, evident through the location of the RIC, once home to working steel mills. Development of the 178-acre Hazelwood Green site聽first began in 2002. Now, it is the site of initiatives positioning Carnegie Mellon and the Pittsburgh region as a leader in the innovation economy.

鈥淧ittsburgh was built for this moment. We're reclaiming our past, but talking about how our future is going to be built on the world stage,鈥� Mayor Corey O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淭his project is going to make sure that Pittsburgh is everyone's first choice. It's going to continue to grow our city, but it's also going to amplify our successes in Pittsburgh to the world stage.鈥�

A new, permanent exhibit on display inside the RIC connects the site's history of community and innovation 鈥� the area was once known as Scotch Bottom, where steelworkers and their families lived alongside the mill 鈥� with Carnegie Mellon's decades-long leadership in robotics, connecting past breakthroughs to the research happening today. The exhibit draws from materials preserved in the and the work of , as well as through external partnerships with Rivers of Steel, the Greater Hazelwood Historical Society, and the University of Pittsburgh Archives. 聽

RIC invites opportunities for community-building

Carnegie Mellon leaders are committed and active participants in the Greater Hazelwood Community Collaborative, dedicated to improving economic, social and physical outcomes for all residents of Hazelwood and surrounding neighborhoods.

As such, the university played a significant role in developing the Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Plan, according to Tim Smith, founder and CEO of聽, a community nonprofit that has provided programs and services to the people of Greater Hazelwood for nearly 25 years. Collaboration between 麻豆村 and the center allows both organizations to better serve the community together.

鈥淧artnerships play a vital role in community empowerment,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is why we are pleased to see the Robotics Innovation Center land in the Hazelwood community. 麻豆村 is no stranger to our neighborhood or to the Center of Life. Our partnership has engaged several schools within the university and produced numerous initiatives that have brought people from 69 countries to visit and engage with Hazelwood residences and service providers."

The RIC will host robotics-related programs open to the community to expand Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 outreach and provide an exciting venue where learners of all ages, including K-12 students, can learn more about the development and real-world application of robotics and opportunities in STEM.

鈥溌槎勾� has made real efforts to engage with community organizations, residents and local leaders. Those conversations, the programming with our young people and the intentional outcome matters. And it demonstrates that being a good neighbor is as important as being a leading research institution,鈥� said Sonya Tilghman, executive director of the聽. 鈥淭he inclusion of public and shared spaces creates real opportunity for residents and students and researchers to gather and connect. The design of the building, both interior and exterior, also reflects a clear respect for Hazelwood鈥檚 character and history.鈥澛�

A community open house is聽, featuring robotics demonstrations, refreshments and tours of the new facility including a permanent exhibit reflecting on the history of the area, steelmaking and innovation.