Curiosity Lab Spurs IoT Innovation with Unique Real-World Testing, Collaboration Spaces & Podcast Offerings

Curiosity Lab's prototype design lab

The future of smart cities and intelligent mobility innovation relies on the continued evolution of internet of things (IoT) technology, a market that is projected to grow to $555.8 billion in 2028, up from $383.1 billion in 2021. There is clearly huge potential here for both private and public entities to develop new IoT technologies and help create solutions that benefit consumers and businesses everywhere.

Long aware of this growth potential, the City of Peachtree Corners began to explore opportunities to help the industry prosper a few years ago. City leaders noticed there was one key step missing in the development process for many IoT technologies: the opportunity to test the technology in a controlled, living laboratory environment.

Peachtree Corners launched Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners in 2019 to fill this need and pave the way forward for the development of IoT technologies that can support smart city and intelligent mobility innovation.

Curiosity Lab’s unique facilities and infrastructure and its location within an existing 500-acre technology park create realistic conditions that enable robotics, artificial intelligence solutions, autonomous services, and countless more use cases to be optimized and ultimately scaled for the suburban and urban landscapes of tomorrow.

AV Shuttle

An autonomous shuttle shares the road with other traffic on Curiosity Lab’s three-mile test track

For example, Curiosity Lab’s three-mile test track can accommodate advanced vehicle testing, from driver-assist concepts found in most cars today, all the way up to Level 5 technology (fully autonomous vehicles). The track is part of an existing roadway through a commercial technology park. Cars and pedestrians cross over it in more than 30 places as they go to their homes or workplaces.

More than 10,000 people work in this technology park, while another 2,000 people live here. This provides a real-world setting that is not controlled and thereby extremely valuable for companies who need to test their technologies in the wild.

CL vehicle

Curiosity Lab’s Ford-Edge-based test vehicle

Companies also can use Curiosity Lab’s Ford-Edge-based test vehicle to develop advanced mobility and autonomous technologies. Companies working on fully autonomous driving systems, mapping, light detection/ranging (LiDAR), cameras/computer vision, radar, V2X systems, and/or data simulation can place their technologies on the vehicle and gather data as the vehicle interacts with pedestrians, other cars, traffic lights and more.

Curiosity Lab garage

Curiosity Lab’s Innovation Garage

Curiosity Lab offers a safe place to park for advanced vehicles not actively testing. The 30-by-28-foot Innovation Garage offers drive-in access, a lift, work benches, electric vehicle charging stations, and 5G connectivity. The climate-controlled environment provides both privacy and an expanded workspace.

The Innovation Center

Curiosity Lab’s Innovation Center

Sitting right next to the autonomous vehicle track, the Innovation Center is the ecosystem hub of Curiosity Lab. These 25,000 square feet of light colorful space is filled with early-stage startups, tech companies, and corporate innovation teams all testing new technologies and exchanging ideas.

Curiosity Lab event space

Curiosity Lab’s Event Space

One of the main features of the Innovation Center are the multiple available workspaces.  From individual desk space to full offices, the Center offers a variety of choices.  In addition to workspace, there are several meeting room options from offices that seat two, to a conference room that seats 15.  Additionally, there is a large event space that can host more than 100 people and can be used for corporate innovation offsite events, entrepreneurial classes, and technology community events.  The event space includes a stage as well as access to the kitchen facilities for use by caterers.

Curiosity Lab's prototype design lab

Curiosity Lab’s Prototype Design Lab

The Innovation Center houses open workspaces for companies and the Prototype Design Lab, a lab that offers bench space, handheld tools, and multiple 3D printers to help design, build and tinker with hardware prototypes. Additionally, companies may bring in any additional tools that they need to work on, modify, or complete their design work.

Conference being held in Curiosity Lab's event space

Peachtree Corners CTO Brandon Branham speaks at the recent Connected Cities Tour event held at the Innovation Center

The Innovation Center is perfect for coding boot camps, technical training seminars, pitch practices, and more. Its special event space, which can host more than 100 people, is ideal for corporate innovation offsite events, entrepreneurial classes, and technology community events.

Innovation Center podcasting room

Curiosity Lab’s podcasting room

The podcasting room is one of the latest additions, helping companies enter the popular world of podcasting, which now has 424.2 million listeners worldwide. Curiosity Lab’s new and improved podcasting room includes a soundboard with four microphones and video capabilities to help users record content for target audiences. Users can leverage their own podcasting software in conjunction with this high-quality plug-and-play system. Innovation Center members are welcome to book the podcasting room to record & broadcast their technology news.

Keep up with our latest innovations

This was just a brief walk through the unique offerings at Curiosity Lab. If you are interested in learning more about our real-world testing environment or scheduling a tour, please reach out to us here. Testing is free and open to all technology companies from startups to Fortune 500.

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