New lab partnered with Columbus State University develops ‘life-saving’ tech. See it.

A new lab and partnership with a local university aims to develop cutting-edge, life-saving drones and robotics technology.

The Maneuver Center of Excellence hosted the grand opening of the Maneuver Innovation Lab at Fort Moore on Friday unveiling its new logo and demonstrating prototypes of drones, robots and other devices. The Maneuver Innovation Lab is the first of its kind in Georgia and is a result of mutual collaborations with DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Civil Military Innovation Institute, Auburn University and most recently Columbus State University.

Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley, commanding general for the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore, told the Ledger-Enquirer this lab is more than developing drones.

“There’s a lot of innovation that we can continue to do, to continue to save the lives of our soldiers, and that way you don’t have people like me having to go meet family members and honor their lost loved ones,” Tuley said.

Soldiers developing for other soldiers

A key feature of the Maneuver Innovation Lab is that technology is developed by soldiers for other soldiers.

Soldiers, regardless of their rank, can submit solutions for problems they encounter and be an active part of creating the technology to solve them. Already, the lab has created several projects from reconnaissance drones to trunk attachments to transport wounded soldiers.

“It’s a bottom-up culture we want to inspire. Young soldiers are identifying things across vehicles, radios, weapons and medical care,’” Tuley said. “This stuff has happened every day, 24 hours a day, here on this installation.”

Soldiers who work in the Maneuver Innovation Lab say they enjoy working in this environment. Pfc. Jayde Jennings, a member of the Light Infantry Platoon of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry, also known as EXFOR, worked on a team to develop a small plane-shaped surveillance drone.

Jennings told the Ledger-Enquirer he was proud to be a part of creating life-saving technology that feels similar to things he enjoyed in his childhood.

“It’s like working with stuff you grew up with like your phone, computers and toy RC cars,” Jennings said. “It’s crazy that it all applies to this work. A lot of it applies to civilian life too, with coding and 3-D printing. You can just transition right into that when you’re done.”

Columbus Partnership with ‘limitless potential’

College students can be involved with the Maneuver Innovation Lab as well. Through CSU’s partnership, robotics and engineering students have the opportunity on site, researching and developing new technology.

Dr. Stuart Rayfield, the president of Columbus State University, says that the onsite training provides hands-on experience for students’ future careers in robotics and engineering.

“The main part of having a physical presence here is to allow students to engage in problem solving and development,” Rayfield said. “They’re right here on site, and they’re getting to have that experiential learning in a way we can’t provide on our campus.”

In addition to coding, manufacturing and 3-D printing, students will also work with drones and robots as they advance. According to lab officials, some drones and robots they are working on in the future will be overlaid with artificial intelligence, opening an ability to run its programming in a more automated way.

“Columbus State is looking at this as an opportunity to engage with advanced technologies which includes computer science, cybersecurity, robotics engineering and artificial intelligence,” Rayfield said. “It’s just advanced technology which is going to dominate all of our lives as we move forward.”

This partnership with the Maneuver Innovation Lab is one step towards CSU’s effort to build out their robotics program. The university is planning to build a new building. Columbus State officials proposed a $22.2 million robotics engineering building to be included in Governor Kemp’s budget recommendations for the next fiscal year. The proposal has not yet been approved.

Rayfield says this partnership has limitless potential for more opportunities in the future.

“The way that I look at this partnership is it’s got limitless potential,” Rayfield said. “There is so much opportunity in this facility, and the knowledge, skills and abilities that are all coming here together.”

This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 6:00 AM.