Dive Brief:
- Laser product manufacturer Trimble will establish a 1,300-square-foot technology lab in the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s new Design Building as part of a gift to support the school with technology for training and research in sustainable 3-D design and digital fabrication, according to TCT Magazine.
- The technology lab is part of a larger $300 million tech expansion at UMass and will provide learning environments for four separate departments.
- Outfitted with laser scanners, robotic surveying systems, imaging rovers and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, the lab will complement an existing makerspace for experimentation, fabrication and prototyping.
Dive Insight:
Scheduled to open in Spring 2017, the Trimble lab will allow students and researchers to explore technology applications for scanning historic buildings, designing and 3-D printing architectural building models, fabricating custom tools and equipment, and improving construction scheduling and cost estimating.
With the opening of the Trimble Technology Lab at UMass Amherst, Massachusetts is giving the Bay Area a run for its money when it comes to technology innovation labs and incubators. Already home to MIT’s The Engine incubator and Autodesk’s 70,000 square foot BUILD Space lab in Boston, Massachusetts is becoming a focal point for research into applied technology for construction.
