USMSM SMART Building and UMD MATRIX Lab celebrate one year since grand opening
HOLLYWOOD, Md. — Saturday, October 15th marks one year since the opening of the Southern Maryland Autonomous Research and Technology (SMART) Building in St. Mary’s County.
The SMART Building is located at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM) campus in the town of California.
It houses the Maryland Autonomous Technologies Research Innovation and eXploration (MATRIX) Lab, the new hub for autonomous technologies and uncrewed systems research in Southern Maryland.
Researchers, faculty, staff, and students at the University of Maryland (UMD) A. James Clark School of Engineering and its departments are able to use the underwater, air, and land testing facilities in the SMART Building and MATRIX Lab.
Students are back in the building, taking Electrical & Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering classes. The eventual goal is to hold all UMD electrical engineering program classes at the Southern Maryland campus, either virtually or in-person.
The building has been used for several events including visits and tours for students, and gatherings and presentations for industry and academic leaders.
There are now four MATRIX Lab job positions since the SMART Building opened in October of 2021.
Since opening, the MATRIX Lab has seen some improvements to its Hydrology Lab and Open Air-Land Lab.
The MATRIX team hopes to keep bringing in students and staff, and is excited to continue its work to help shape the future.
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