An innovative laboratory has emerged on the city’s last riverfront parcel, a 178-acre brownfield, formerly the LTVF Hazelwood steel site, west of Hot Metal Bridge and the birthplace of the modern steel mill.
While city leaders and developers mull the possibility of more R&D development west along the river, Carnegie Mellon University has leased the property as a lab space for robotics testing. Dubbed Robot City, the Tartan Racing Team now practices there for the DARPA Urban Challenge, a race of autonomous robot vehicles sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Defense.
Helping to turn the brownfield green, CMU grads calling themselves Growth Through Energy and Community Health (GTECH) have planted switchgrass as part of a new biofuel company.
William “Red” Whittaker, Fredkin Research Professor at CMU’s Robotics Institute, oversees the activities, developing Robot City into a unique laboratory that uses a robotic labor force of lawn mowers and land movers to green the site, bring what the future may.
“It’s a very special situation,” says Whittaker. Robot City encourages all students from urban design to engineering to participate. “It’s really everybody’s vision and opportunity. This site is the real urban challenge. Students are generating the energy to make it happen.”
The property was purchased in 2002 by a nonprofit partnership, ALMONO, formed by the Regional Industrial Development Corp. (RIDC), and The Heinz Endowments and Richard King Mellon, Benedum and McCune foundations for $10 million. A final master plan for the site is in progress, says Bill Widdoes, RIDC project coordinator.
“It’s a bit fanciful that the site is the birthplace of the modern steel mill." he says. "Wouldn’t it be great if it could become the birthplace of the industry that is going to take Pittsburgh into the 21st Century? Maybe robots will be manufactured there someday.”
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Red Whittaker, CMU, Bill Widdoes, RIDC
Image courtesy of the Robotics Institute of CMU