Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies

facade assembly for the Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop, in Parker Hall.

Building upon UB’s reputation as a leader in advanced manufacturing and design, UB's Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies (SMART) community will help create the next generation of technologies, processes and education.

SMART pursues research that aligns UB's capacity in engineering, architecture, management, economics and health sciences to bring products to market faster, regardless of their size and complexity, while remaining ecologically and economically sustainable. The community's scholarship focuses on the following areas:

Sustainable Design and Innovation
Advanced Design and Manufacturing
Materials and materials innovation
Industry and Community Partnerships
Transformative Design
Information Processing
Human-in-the-loop
SMART Education

SMART works closely with regional partners, including Automated Dynamics, Boston Valley Terra Cotta, Buffalo Manufacturing Works, Construction Robotics LLC., Moog, and LP Cinimelli as well national initiatives such as the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute and the American Institute of Architecture’s Technology in Architectural Practice Group. These collaborations advance manufacturing through novel technologies, sustainable materials, intelligent supply chains, enhanced labor productivity and reduced costs.

SMART's experiential learning opportunities immerse students in the design and manufacturing processes and challenges associated with advanced design, manufacturing and construction across scales of time, size and complexity. Learning formats offered include a corporate enterprise model that supports interaction with industry and entrepreneurship development; testing facilities for assessing robot prototypes, agile product realization and teaching demonstrations, and an advanced graduate certificate in advanced manufacturing and a manufacturing minor with an emphasis on hands-on experiences.