The New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation or NERVE Center was awarded $135,000 from the President’s Science and Technology Initiatives Fund and put the investment to good use.

NERVE Center is the only robotics test site in the Northeast and one of only three in the nation.

Boston Herald: The most advanced robotics test center in the nation will open on Tuesday, February 12th at UMass Lowell with a robotics demonstration and a report on the state of the industry.

Adept Technology, iRobot, QinetiQ and VGo Communications are among the companies scheduled to demonstrate robots at Tuesday’s event, which will feature courses that test the strength, durability, design and functionality of robots.

UMass hopes the center will fuel robotics research and development across the region by providing access to state-of-the-art testing equipment.

The NERVE Center has been awarded $135,000 from the President’s Science and Technology Initiatives Fund.

The NERVE Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell will facilitate the improved development of robotic systems by both academic researchers and corporations by providing dedicated testing facilities.

The center will house elements of NIST’s Standard Test Methods for Robots, including the VBIED test courses, and water areas such as fording basins and splash pools, designed in collaboration with the U.S. Army.

The center will also have an indoor rain area. The indoor arenas will allow for year-round testing of robot systems with water, sand, and other features difficult to maintain outdoors during a New England winter.

In addition to building test courses for currently accepted metrics, we will conduct research to continue the development of standard methods for evaluating robots.

A development lab will also be located within the center, with tools including a laser cutter and 3D printer.

Address: Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center at UMass Lowell,
1001 Pawtucket Boulevard, Lowell, MA 01854

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