CNSI Innovation Workshop
"In theory, there is no difference between practice and theory. In practice, there is." – Yogi Berra
The CNSI Innovation Workshop – a makerspace facility – is now open in Elings Hall, envisioned as a resource to both local startups as well as the campus community. The Innovation Workshop enables innovators from UCSB and local companies to build and test prototypes their inventions. As not all ideas work, nor are all workable ideas practical or have the desired impact in solving important problems, the best way to develop ideas into impactful innovations is build, test, and persistently improve them. Thus the goal of the CNSI Innovation Workshop is to be a resource to address this stage of business development.
The Workshop fills a vital gap in campus resources: a place where any innovator can fabricate and test their ideas using tools that are well-suited for beginners. The tools in the student machine shop and cleanroom require extensive training and experience in order to make useful parts. This presents a barrier to new inventors. Having a first prototype in-hand to test can provide the motivation to learn to use the other labs.
3D printers, a laser cutter, and a CNC router – all with easy to learn user interfaces – make up the core tools in the Innovation Workshop. We have also included a workbench for assembling and testing electronic circuits, and one for programming and testing microcontroller-based machines. Hand tools for mechanical, electronic and plumbing assembly are also planned.
Contact: Brian Dincau
Shared Instrumentation
UCSB is also home to a number of world-class laboratory facilities where equipment is available for use by industrial researchers from start-ups, small businesses, and large companies. The UCSB Facilities Network provides locations and information about campus research facilities and instruments to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among the campus community.
Materials Research Lab
There are eight staffed Shared Experimental Facilities managed by or partnered with the MRL, which are available to researchers on and off campus.
Microscopy Facility
Managed by the Materials Department and open to all members of the university and surrounding community, the Microscopy Facility houses state-of-the-art equipment for materials characterization.
Nanofab
The UCSB NanoFabrication facility's mission is to provide a top-rate research fabrication facility for micro and nano-scale processing. The Nanofab provides the supplies, facilities, equipment and know-how needed to accomplish your cutting-edge research.
CNSI Facilities
CNSI's mission is to create a collaborative, closely-integrated, and strongly interactive environment that will foster innovation in nanosystems research and education and bring scientific and technological innovation into the economy and society.