Share Tweet Share Email

OMRON Global names new engineering lab

October 25, 2012
OMRON Global is naming a new lab in the NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.

OMRON Global is naming a new lab in the NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.

NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology is getting a cutting-edge robotics and mechatronics lab with the help of corporate sponsor OMRON Global.

OMRON Global is an international company that focuses on a wide variety of manufacturing automation products, producing motors, sensors, safety equipment and more.

The company has proven quite successful, and leaders have decided to share their success with NIU. The new lab will include state-of-the-art equipment such as robotic arms, microcontrollers and testing equipment as well as the ability for researchers and students to visually record their work.

Construction and installation will continue on the lab throughout the rest of the semester, although some student groups already are using the new lab space. Faculty are even redesigning certain courses to take advantage of the new equipment.

“When an engineering program puts forth an effort to stay on top of emerging technologies,” said Addison Merchut, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, “they give their students a competitive advantage in the job market.”

Omrom Global representatives will visiting campus Thursday, Nov. 1, to see a presentation and view the lab’s progress. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completed lab will take place in March.