Facilities

The Invention Studio can be found on the 2nd floor of the Manufacturing Related Disciplines Complex (MRDC).

Every surface is filled with equipment or creations from the studio’s participants — miniature Yoda heads crafted on 3D printers, cardboard gears etched from a laser cutter and assembled by hand, even a miniature wooden bulldozer that would light up the eyes of any toddler. The room is essentially a playground for anyone who never really outgrew a love for LEGOs and building models.

Managed by the Makers Club, the Georgia Tech Invention Studio has been around since 2008, when an old mailroom was transformed into a small machine room. Almost five years later, the “studio” is comprised of four separate rooms containing several high-end pieces of equipment, including a water jet and a hot injection mold machine. The studio recently obtained two additional laser cutters to meet growing student demand. One student expanded the functionality of these cutters by writing a code that enables the machine to cut patterns that can then be assembled into 3-D creations.

Though originally established to provide mechanical engineering capstone students with a workspace to foster collaboration and efficiency, the Invention Studio welcomes students of all disciplines.

Approximately 50 undergraduate laboratory instructors, or ULIs, staff the lab each week and are available to teach visitors how to use the space’s equipment and resources. Workshop facilitators also volunteer in the studio, teaching techniques and skills in woodworking, knitting, rocketry and other specialized areas. After experimenting with machines and attending workshops, students are eligible to apply to become a volunteer ULI or workshop facilitator, and also become a member of the Makers Club.

Students interested in learning more about the Invention Studio are encouraged to visit the website or simply drop in.