MIT-Lincoln Laboratory BeaverWorks Center

The MIT Lincoln Laboratory Beaver Works Center (Lincoln Beaver Works) conducts research and educational programs that strengthen and expand collaborative efforts between Lincoln Laboratory and MIT campus. This collaboration

(*) Provides opportunities for both institutions to make an impact on pressing global problems through science, research, and education
(*) Leverages synergies between campus research and Lincoln Laboratory technology areas to generate innovative solutions
(*) Exposes a new generation of students to opportunities in engineering, research, and service to the nation and world

Beaver Works is a joint center chartered by the MIT School of Engineering and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, operated by the Laboratory. Dr. Robert Shin, Head of Lincoln Laboratory's ISR and Tactical Systems Division, is the director of the center. Day-to-day operations are handled by John Vivilecchia, the facility manager. The facility is open to all MIT students, faculty, and collaborators, and provides a nexus for innovation, collaboration, and hands-on development.

The Beaver Works Center was initiated in 2010 through a series of Lincoln Laboratory-funded capstone research projects in the School of Engineering. In 2013, MIT and Lincoln Laboratory opened the new, dedicated center designed to facilitate research, workshops, and class work through the creative fusion of collaborative spaces and prototyping facilities.

The core mission of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Beaver Works is to foster innovative, impactful research that benefits MIT campus and Lincoln Laboratory. This research can be pursued in many ways, leading to a diverse portfolio of projects. However, all projects share a common theme of harnessing and strengthening campus and Lincoln Laboratory interaction. Research interactions fall into three categories:

(1) Capstone Projects – One-year development projects executed in conjunction with a two-semester courses, in which students work together to carry an idea from initial design all the way through to prototype fabrication and testing.

(2) Research Projects – Cutting-edge research projects in which participants from campus and the Laboratory explicitly leverage the strengths of both institutions to efficiently solve critical problems.

(3) Individual Research – Guided research for individual development in a focused research area; examples include Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programs (UROP) at both Lincoln Laboratory, and MIT, some Research Assistantship (RA) opportunities, and internships. Additional opportunities are available through the EECS SuperUROP program. Lincoln Beaver Works space is available for use by Lincoln Laboratory UROP students.

Special Events – Beaver Works is also an environment where due to the open, flexible space events of all sizes can occur here.

The technical scope of these research programs bridges a wide area of common interests between the Laboratory and campus. The following diverse research areas are opportune for strong collaborations:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Systems
Cyber Security
Engaging Supercomputing
Transportation
Autonomy and Robotic Systems
Non-destructive Evaluation
Energy Systems
Imaging and Computer Vision
Distributed Dynamic Systems
System-on-a-Chip
Signal Processing
Earth Remote Sensing
Decision Support
Bioengineering Technology
Humanitarian Initiative