With AAE student clubs vying for top finishes in collegiate competitions, they had outgrown the space available to them in the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. At their request, the school secured a 5,000-square-foot makerspace in the Purdue Technology Center and filled it with equipment, storage and workspaces to help them succeed.

“This space is a lot bigger than we had before, and it really helps to bring the whole team together and have all the tools and supplies we need in one place,” says Isha Patel, president of the Purdue Aerial Robotics Team (PART).

The makerspace is located off campus in the Purdue Research Park, about two miles from Armstrong Hall, so Patel says coordinating transportation was an initial hurdle. “But it wasn’t too tough. Some of us carpool, and there’s a CityBus route with a stop nearby,” she says.

PART's 120 members are spread across seven multidisciplinary teams to prepare a vehicle for the Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition (SUAS). John Rolfe, who serves as PART’s competition lead, says the shared space means they get to interact more often with other clubs. They have shared tools, parts and ideas back and forth between them.

“It’s good to have PSP [Purdue Space Program] nearby. They have been working on their rocket for an upcoming launch while we prepare for our competition. We’ve borrowed odds and ends back and forth, and shared ideas too. It’s been really fantastic,” Rolfe says.

“We’re also able to be safer here when we’re working with composites, which is great for all our members.”