Robots Check Out the New Super-flat Epoxy Floor at Caltech Karman Labs

Location

Pasadena, CA

Owner

California Institute of Technology

Architect

CO Architects

Project Size

6460 SF

Enjoy a glow-in-the-dark robotic ballet as the primary users of Caltech Karman Labs’ new super-flat epoxy floor explore the space designed specifically for them. Part of Professor Soon-Jo Chung’s research, the floor simulates the frictionless motion of spaceflight to test GPS units that will be used in satellites. The flatness tolerance parameters required the floor to be installed to one-three-thousandth of an inch over 10 feet, creating the exact conditions necessary for the units to hover just above the floor’s surface.