Johns Hopkins University, Stieff Silver Autonomous Lab
An AI-driven lab for rapid materials design and discovery
- Client
- Johns Hopkins University
- Location
- Maryland, United States
- Size
- 2,300 square feet
- Status
- Completed
In industries like aerospace, defense, construction, and machinery, where cutting-edge materials are essential, the traditional development and testing of these materials have been slow and painstaking. But now, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, this process is being revolutionized.
AI is transforming materials testing laboratories by improving the efficiency, accuracy and speed of testing processes. The Artificial Intelligence for Material Design (AIMD) laboratory is a first-of-its-kind, leading-edge research space within the historic Stieff Silver Building for the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The laboratory integrates multiple tasks focused on high-throughput and machine learning-driven materials development, with a central robotic automation system that links the fabrication, characterization and testing of novel materials.
Ultimately, this laboratory should run itself — iterating on its data set and developing new materials.
The overall design goal was to create a modular and adaptable laboratory that could accommodate the current and future needs of the research team. The laboratory operates within a certified cleanroom environment, including advanced laser tools and multiple imaging and characterization instruments. It is designed to accommodate future capabilities to have an AI-controlled system that generates novel materials and then characterizes and tests them, learning over time as its data set grows. The AIMD will significantly impact material applications for the US military and the broader materials research community.
The entire setup combines scientific instrumentation that is typically not co-located, including x-ray machines, lasers, robotics and fume hoods, all of which create unique safety solutions. The laboratory is divided into four zones: fabrication, characterization, testing and control. Each zone is designed with specific ventilation, lighting, power, data and safety requirements.
The AIMD will transform the materials testing industry, making the process more efficient, cost-effective and innovative, paving the way for industries that rely on cutting-edge materials.
