Strategic Capabilities
Strategic Capabilities
The I³R building, which includes ~144,000 sq.ft. distributed across three floors, includes several laboratories and work spaces. With a focus on convergence research, the building itself is designed and built to offer collaborative spaces and cross-cutting capabilities. I³R uses a shared-use arrangement for all facilities and equipment, and all are housed in controlled-access areas.
Human Health Innovation Wing
All laboratory spaces in this wing are designed to facilitate experimental studies on human subjects, including individuals with neuromotor disabilities or limb dysfunction.
- Seimens Magnetom CimaX 3T-MRI
- EEG/fNIRS/TMS/Eye-Tracking
- Motion Capture
- Biomechanics
- Whole Body Calorimetry
- Metabolic Kitchen
- Brainlabs Loop-X
Digital Transformation Wing
The Immersive Experience Lab and Computational Modeling and Data Science Lab provide advanced capabilities for VR/XR implementation and testing, spatial computing, simulation, and data analysis— supporting a wide range of research and development applications across digital and physical environments.
This lab is configured and equipped with a wide variety of for devices for virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR), including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) head-mounted displays that can be used for implementation and testing. The devices available in the immersive experience lab provide unique flexibility for a wide range of applications, including integrated 200 Hz eye-tracking systems, hand-tracking capabilities, inside-out and outside-in tracking systems, video see-through and optical see-through display technologies, displays resolution of up to 4K pixels, integrated ambient light reconstruction cameras, and automatic adjustment of intra-pupillary distance.
This lab is configured and equipped for computer simulation, spatial computing, internet-of-things (IoT), software development, and data analysis.
Materials & Characterization Wing
Bench lab capabilities in this wing support development and characterization of biomaterials, genomic analysis, and cell/tissue imaging and analysis.
Pre-Clinical & Surgical Innovation Wing
The lab spaces in this wing provide a comprehensive infrastructure for advanced pre-clinical research supporting studies from in vivo neurophysiology to sterile surgical training—with integrated capabilities for histology, cell culture, neuroscience, physiological monitoring, innovative tool development, device fabrication, and real-time procedural streaming.
This suite is configured and equipped to develop and evaluate innovative surgical tools for enhanced manipulation and visualization.
This suite includes several rooms that are dedicated for pre-clinical animal research. All research laboratories are shared-use, allocated to different projects, and managed by the Institute staff. A series of specialized rooms allow conduct of studies on cell cultures, tissue slices, anesthetized, or awake rodents. Two 400 sq. ft. labs with an adjacent prep room and a smaller 200 sq.ft. dedicated room can be utilized to conduct electrophysiology studies that include neurostimulation and neurorecordings, biomechanical assessments, and a variety of physiological recordings in anesthetized animals. Also available are rooms for histology and ancillary support spaces for freezers and refrigerators and necropsy, and small electrical needs such as soldering of leads. This suite also has facilities to fabricate the needles and electrodes utilized in pre-clinical research studies. A wet bench and chemical hood/storage is used for etching needles, quality verification and micro-welding to fine wires. The I³R building includes a secure animal research facility (ABSL1 and ABSL2) with procedure rooms.
Advanced Manufacturing & Prototyping Wing
This wing includes an additive manufacturing lab, machine shop, maker space, and electronics shop, as well as a Cleanroom available next door in the Nanoscience building.
Configured and equipped for developing early-stage and advanced prototypes using additive manufacturing capabilities. Specialized equipment includes:
- One Click Metal-metal powder 3d printer (MPrint, MPure)
- Ceramic 3D Printer-Admatec 130 Entry (furnace included)
- Formlabs-Fuse 1+30W-plastic powder 3d printer, Fuse Sift
- Formlabs: 3+ resin printer
- Formlabs: 3B+ biocompatible resin printer
- Bambu Lab X1-Carbon 3D printer
Configured for high-end machining. Specialized equipment includes:
- Haas UMC-500 CNC Mill
- Haas ST-15 CNC Lathe
- EDM Performance Wire
- Water Jet Cutter
- Sandblaster
- Manual Mill
- Manual Lathe
- Vertical Bandsaw
- Horizontal Bandsaw
- Safety equipment
- Various measurement and inspection tools, and a wide range of hand tools
A collaborative workspace with ample room for testing projects.
Our Building
Our Building
The building’s site was chosen specifically to encourage interaction with all parts and people of the campus and surrounding industry. It is a short walk from the Dickson Street Entertainment District, the Ramble Arts Corridor and entrepreneurship support centers like the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, Startup Junkie and the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub. It is also situated in close proximity to the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage for easy access.