Strengthening innovation at NASA Ames Research Center by encouraging prototyping and collaboration

NASA recognizes that to achieve our mission of driving advancements in science, technology, aeronautics and space exploration, we require ingenuity and teamwork by the NASA workforce. NASA Ames Research Center has sought to support the Ames workforce in achieving the NASA mission by encouraging prototyping and collaboration to strengthen the innovation culture at the Center. In 2012, NASA Ames Research Center opened the SpaceShop Rapid Prototyping Facility, an Agency-unique workforce development facility that encourages low-fidelity prototype development. The SpaceShop is available for all Center personnel to obtain training on traditional manufacturing and computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) equipment for rapid in-house prototyping. Users are encouraged to explore and mature concepts early within the design cycle. Adjacent to the SpaceShop, NASA Ames Research Center built a complementary open workspace, the Ames Collaboratory. The Collaboratory provides the Ames workforce with a communal alternative to conventional meeting rooms by means of modern technology sharing platforms, whiteboards, modular furniture, and supplies to aid collaborative innovation. The Collaboratory also serves as an alternative work space for the workforce. This paper describes the SpaceShop Rapid Prototyping Facility and the Ames Collaboratory, including the objectives, evolving approaches, best practices, and lessons learned. The paper also proposes an initial case study and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that measure the adoption, engagement, and impact of the initiatives.