Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/02/26

Key Takeaways

  • The University of Rhode Island officially opened its new 32,000-square-foot Ocean Robotics Laboratory, a centerpiece of the $300-million, multiphase revitalization of the Narragansett Bay Campus.
  • The research facility features advanced robotics infrastructure, including a large test tank, high-bay staging area, multiple research labs, fabrication shops, office space, and an incubator suite to support ocean technology innovation.
  • Backed in part by $145 million in voter-approved bond funding, university leaders say the laboratory will strengthen Rhode Island’s leadership in the blue economy by advancing robotic ocean exploration, research, and industry partnerships.

The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank. The new facility is part of a larger, $300-million, multiphase revitalization project for the entire campus.

The facility measures 32,000 square feet, and construction started in March 2024. Major building features include a two-story, high-bay staging area; a test tank measuring 20 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 15 feet deep; eight faculty research labs on the first floor; eight secondary lab spaces for shared or individual use; two shops with mechanical equipment like milling machines, sanders, band saws, and a lathe; faculty office space; and an incubator suite, according to the university website.

“This is a major milestone in the revitalization of this campus,” said University President Marc Parlange. “This campus is truly a hub for the blue economy in Rhode Island, with education, with research, with training, with extension, and partnerships with industry, as well as state and federal agencies. I am so grateful for the support of our state and federal elected officials and generous donors who make this transformation possible.”

About $145 million in funding came from two bond referenda approved by Rhode Island voters.

“The people who will work in the Ocean Robotics Laboratory are building the robots and instruments that are needed to solve challenges by giving them shared space, innovative infrastructure, and place-based partnership opportunity,” said Steve D'Hondt, the Graduate School of Oceanography’s interim dean. “The facility will enable Rhode Island to take a commanding global lead in robotic ocean exploration and automated sensing of the ocean.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

    The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.