Vadodara: City-based Navrachana University (NU) on Friday inaugurated a 24/7 open-access Tinkerers’ Lab, a makerspace designed to enhance hands-on learning and industry-aligned engineering practice.Developed in collaboration with the USA-based Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF), the facility features advanced equipment worth Rs 38 lakh, including a 6-axis collaborative robotic arm with a 2-finger gripper from Addverb Technologies.The lab brings together mechanical, electronic, and digital fabrication tools under one roof, including multiple 3D printers, a CO₂ laser cutter, a desktop CNC milling machine, drill and grinding stations, sensors, and precision hand tools, all supported by safety systems.Aligned with NU’s studio-based pedagogy, the student-led workspace allows learners to ideate, design, and prototype solutions to real-world challenges. It will also support research and industry-linked projects, enhancing skills in robotics, automation, design innovation, and problem-solving.Samir Shah, director of Samrup Trading Pvt Ltd and chief guest at the event, said the lab would prepare students to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies. Damayanti Bhattacharya, CEO of MBF, called it “for the students, of the students, and by the students.”The newly installed cobotic arm will be a central tool for NU’s MTech programme in robotics and automation, offering students practical exposure to advanced robotics, embedded systems, ROS-based development, and industrial automation.
