PCC Willow Creek AI Lab
Your hub for AI, robotics, 3D prototyping, and digital systems
Open lab hours
The AI Lab is open to all PCC students, staff, and faculty members.
- Contact the lab manager below to schedule time on the calendar.
- View the lab calendar (Staff: see how to reserve a timeslot: how to reserve a time – external, how to reserve a time – internal)
The PCC Willow Creek AI Lab is a composite facility supporting research in artificial intelligence, autonomous robotics, digital systems, 3D printing, and digital scanning for rapid prototyping and industry application.
- Location: Willow Creek Opportunity Center, room 309
- Lab manager: GD Iyer
- Contact: GD Iyer or DaNene Dwyer
- PCC AI Lab user agreement
Citizen science opportunities
Environmental Soundscapes: A Datawalking Project
Join us for data “walks” to carefully observe the environment, interpret, analyze, and craft stories about the sounds we hear.
We are excited to invite everyone in PCC to join our first “citizen science” participatory research project, Environmental Soundscapes, in partnership with CETI!
Create a sound data map of a region, look for patterns, and provide a valuable open-source resource for researchers, ecologists, sound artists, and policy-makers. Using AI, we will look for intricate and hidden connections. Can we see a correlation between certain sounds and pollution? Or find a new previously unrecorded creature?
Feel free to immerse yourself in any level of participation, be it during solstices and equinoxes, monthly, weekly, or even on rainy days, using the tools that inspire you and the sounds that captivate your interest, whether natural or man-made, inside or out.
As you collaborate with a lively team, you’ll enhance your expertise in data mapping, data cleansing, data analysis, and harnessing the power of AI models.
Register for Environmental Soundscapes
Experience the future of learning! Have questions? Contact gd.iyer@pcc.edu.
Plant Possibilities
Help build a real Augmented Reality (AR) app by collecting plant data at the PCC Rock Creek Learning Garden.
What you’ll learn:
- Observe and document plant characteristics
- Take photos and field notes
- Contribute data to an AR mobile application
What you’ll gain:
- Hands-on experience with emerging technology (AR)
- Resume-ready volunteer experience
- Sustainability and community impact
Questions? Contact mariana.rodriguezpatarroyo@pcc.edu.
Featured advanced technologies
Autonomous systems development
Robotics and AI
Our dedicated bays are equipped for developing and testing computer vision, navigation, and reinforcement learning algorithms on physical platforms.
- YAHBOOM DOFBOT AI Vision robotic arm: ROS development platform for robotic arm studies with Raspberry Pi 5.
- Agilex Robotics Limo: High-payload ROS development platform for indoor and outdoor navigation studies.
- Jetson Nano myCobot: 6-axis collaborative robotic arm for vision-based pick-and-place tasks.
- Compute resources: High-performance AI workstations for local AI experimentation (LLM, SD, etc.).
Precision 3D printing and digitization
Fabrication and scanning
Equip yourself to move from digital concept to physical object, and back, using the latest in additive and digitization technologies.
- Prusa XL (5-Toolhead): Multi-material FDM printer (360mm3) for advanced, large-scale prototypes in PLA, PETG, PC, and more.
- Einscan H2 Hybrid Light 3D scanner: High-resolution color scanning for reverse engineering, quality inspection, and digital asset creation.
Digital systems prototyping and IoT
Electronics
A dedicated workspace for learning digital logic, embedded systems development, and sensor integration for Internet of Things (IoT) projects.
- Microcontrollers: Stations equipped with Arduino and Raspberry PI kits for rapid embedded systems prototyping.
- Sensor array: Access to a wide range of digital and analog sensors (e.g., ultrasonic, temperature, gyroscopic) for experimentation.
Virtual reality development
Mixed reality
A dedicated space for immersive computing, focusing on developing and testing applications for virtual training, data visualization, and interactive design.
- VR headsets: High-performance HTC VIVE setups for virtual environment testing and development.
Lab AV system
The lab’s A/V system allows you to route various audio/video sources to different destinations in the lab, including projectors and station monitors.
Mandatory lab protocols
- Safety certification: All users must complete the appropriate zone safety certification (robotics, fabrication, or AI) before access is granted.
- Equipment use: Only lab-provided materials (filament, data storage) are permitted in the lab unless pre-approved by the Lab Manager.
- Data security: No sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) is allowed on the workstations/laptop for AI/ML projects.
- Cleanup: Users must power down and clean their immediate workspace (3D printer beds, robotics work surfaces) immediately following their session.