Hapt-X Opens the X-Lab in Cal Poly's Tech Park
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – HaptX announced the launch of the X-Lab, a new research and development facility. Located in the Cal Poly State University Technology Park, the X-Lab is overseen by HaptX co-founder Dr. Bob Crockett, who is a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cal Poly.
The X-Lab is a space for Cal Poly engineering students to pursue early stage research and development that could lead to new haptic innovations, while also enabling them to get hands-on work experience outside of the classroom.
“Having an industry R&D laboratory on the Cal Poly campus provides a great opportunity for Cal Poly engineering students to apply their hands-on capabilities and can-do attitude” said Dr. Crockett. “Not only do they get to dive deep into some challenging problems, they have the opportunity to make a truly meaningful impact on the future of haptic technology.”
XLab Student Interns
Reestablishing a student presence and returning to Cal Poly brings HaptX back to familiar territory. The company started in half of a room in the Cal Poly Technology Park back in 2012. Now a more mature company, HaptX is primarily focused on delivering on its product roadmap and providing high quality service to its customers. That means there’s less availability for full-time engineers to “play” with unproven ideas and experimental projects.
The X-Lab provides a return to the company’s roots of exploring untested R&D with a high degree of freedom and minimal downside when ideas don’t yield results. While the breakthroughs that stem from this research could find their way into future HaptX products, the X-Lab operates independently from the company’s main functions.
Karoline Wucherer, a Biomedical Engineering major who joined the X-Lab in August, is among the seven student interns currently at the X-Lab.
“The X-Lab has provided me with a lot of opportunities,” said Wucherer. “It’s been a really unique experience. I’ve been able to see projects through–from day one research to drafting designs.”
HaptX Tactile Telerobot demonstration
Finding a high quality internship during the academic year can be a challenge for students at Cal Poly. There are few startups and hardware engineering companies near Cal Poly’s geographically isolated campus. The X-Lab's on-campus location at the Tech Park enables students to gain startup experience without having to take time off from school or travel outside of San Luis Obispo.
There is also a certain flexibility afforded by X-Labs' Tech Park location that can be hard to find in other high-tech internships. Whether it’s only for a couple of hours between classes or a longer involvement timeframe, students can innovate on their own schedule.
“HaptX works closely with Cal Poly,” said Wucherer, “It’s been really nice for me to be able to balance working throughout the school year with being a full-time student."
The relationship with HaptX reflects Cal Poly’s philosophy of prioritizing practical experience and providing hands-on learning environments for its students. It’s a philosophy that has found a firm hold in HaptX’s DNA and is enabled by X-Lab's on-campus location in the Tech Park.
Dr. Crockett has a bright vision for the future of the X-Lab. “I hope to see the X-Lab continue to develop as a valuable complement to the main organization, one that looks at blue-sky-ideas and maintains that startup-within-a-startup company feeling.”
Acknowledgement Statement: This project was made possible by the work of the units in the Cal Poly Division of Research, Economic Development & Graduate Education to support student research, Learn-by-Doing, the Teacher-Scholar Model, proposal submission, award negotiation, compliance review, and post-award management. See more at research.calpoly.edu.