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U-M Opens Ford Motor Company Robotics Building

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U-M Ford Motor Company Robotics Building exterior
University of Michigan opened its Ford Motor Company Robotics Building
Photo: Ford

Earlier this month, the University of Michigan officially opened its four-story, $75-million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building. Set on the north side of the campus, the 134,000-square-foot-complex provides advanced facilities and tools for students as well as Ford researchers and engineers.


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The Ford Motor Company Robotics Building, first announced in 2017, is the central hub for the U-M Robotics Institute. It hosts three floors’ worth of robotics labs, classrooms, and makerspaces open for student use. This allows the Robotics Institute to bring together experts from 23 buildings to develop robots for a variety of uses.

Among the features of the building is a three-story fly zone, which is being used to test drones and other autonomous aerial vehicles in conjunction with the M-Air research facility. The complex also includes a “Mars yard,” which simulates the surface of the red planet so that researchers and teams can test concept vehicles intended for space exploration.

Ford researchers, robots settle in at U-M

U-M Ford Motor Company Robotics Building
Five of the robots Ford will test on the fourth floor
Photo: Ford

Per the agreement with its longtime partner, the fourth floor is the home of a Ford robotics and mobility research lab that supports up to 100 employees. From this facility, Ford researchers will test robotic innovations like the two-legged Digit and four-legged Spot robots. Ford will also continue to use University of Michigan’s Mcity proving ground to test autonomous vehicles.

“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity, and automation, advancing our collaboration with the University of Michigan will help us accelerate superior experiences for our customers while modernizing our business,” said Ford Chief Technology Officer Ken Washington.

U-M Ford Motor Company Robotics Building atrium
Ford Motor Company Robotics Building feels open and airy
Photo: Ford

The Ford Motor Company Robotics Building is also a beautiful sight to behold. It features an open atrium with clear sightlines into glass-walled labs. The facility will also include classrooms that support hybrid remote/in-person learning, allowing students from historically Black institutions in Atlanta to take part in the U-M Robotics 101 course.  


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