I went to the Innovation Hub as part of my Environment and Society class. This place is brand-new and open to OU students, faculty and staff. The fabrication lab is actually open to the public (with restrictions). We learned about all the tools in the fabrication lab which included 3D printers and scanners, vinyl cutters, laser cutters, a fully stocked wood shop and more! OU students, faculty and staff can get trained through online videos to become certified to use most of the equipment. However, the few, more dangerous equipment require face-to-face training. The lab staff can help you create just about any size of a project and even provide you with materials for some basic projects. For larger projects, they will even store it for you so you do not have to transport the materials between visits. I can definitely see myself using this resource as a student and in my future career. The 3D technology would be great to scan or build atomic models for chemistry lessons. This could also be helpful when teaching about physiology, anatomy etc. and concepts that are hard to visualize. I encourage everyone to explore and take advantage of the innovation hub!
