Underwater vehicles, hydroponic towers and Mach 2 jets are just a few of the research projects underway at the new U of I Springfield ORION LAB.

Opened in January and located in the basement of the Health and Sciences Building, it’s named after UIS’ mascot.

The lab includes 3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters and engravers, computing, cyber security and fabrication equipment.

Students get to use complex and expensive machines that they would normally only be able to read about giving UIS students a competitive edge in the job market.

Within the next few months, the Orion Lab plans to add a Cyber Warfare Range, additional 3D printers, high-end computing workstations and electronics workbenches.