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A Legacy of Innovation
A Legacy of Innovation
Opened in 2010, 473 Oak Road was purpose-built as Stanford's Automotive Innovation Facility, serving as the home of the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) and the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS). Researchers and students worked alongside industry partners and policymakers to reimagine the future of transportation. Their work pushed the boundaries of autonomous driving and intelligent vehicle technology while exploring the broader societal implications of new mobility systems.
Collaboration across disciplines was central to the facility's mission. Engineers worked with experts in fields ranging from philosophy to medicine, bringing new perspectives to both the technical challenges and the human consequences of emerging transportation technologies.That same spirit carried into the classroom. Over the years, the building hosted hands-on courses that challenged students to explore transportation from multiple perspectives. These included ME 267 (Ethics and Equity in Transportation Systems), AA 174A (Principles of Robot Autonomy), ME 227 (Vehicle Dynamics), ME 302 (Future of Transportation), DESIGN 238 (Judging Historical Significance Through the Automobile), and ME 182 (Electric Transportation).Founded in 2008 by Chris Gerdes, Sebastian Thrun, and Cliff Nass, CARS became a center for groundbreaking automotive research. Under the leadership of Professors Chris Gerdes and Marco Pavone, research conducted in the building explored vehicle dynamics, autonomous driving, driver-vehicle interaction, and automated safety systems using groundbreaking research platforms such as Shelley, MARTY, Takumi, the student-built X1 and the driving simulator. The facility also became home to the Stanford Solar Car Project and other interdisciplinary teams advancing the future of transportation.Many students and researchers who worked in the building went on to become leaders in the fields of autonomous vehicles, robotics, and mobility innovation—founding companies, leading engineering organizations, shaping public policy, and authoring influential books and research that helped define the modern era of vehicle autonomy.Today, as the Clubhouse for Hardware Innovation Projects (CHIP), 473 Oak Road begins a new chapter. The building's legacy of hands-on experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration continues, empowering the next generation of student innovators to design, build, and create technologies that will shape the future.
CHIP Timeline
A New Chapter at 473 Oak Road
CHIP Timeline
A New Chapter at 473 Oak Road
2010
473 Oak Road Opens
Purpose-built to house the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS).
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August 2025
CHIP arrives at 473 Oak Road
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October 2025
Clubhouse Opens Its Doors
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November 2025
Electronics Lab Opens
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December 2025
Digital Fabrication Lab Opens
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January 2026
Textiles Lab Opens
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Fall 2026
Metal Shop to Open
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Spring 2027
Interior Renovation to Begin
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Fall 2027
Composites Lab to Open
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Winter 2028
Clubhouse Ribbon Cutting!
Building Renovation
Building Renovation
The CHIP facility is a work in progress—in the best possible way. A planned interior renovation will transform the former research spaces into fabrication labs with upgraded infrastructure, expanding the range of materials and processes available to student clubs.
The renovation will introduce new capabilities, including a state-of-the-art composites lab dedicated to student projects, along with spaces for drone flying, hardware testing, and more.
Every improvement is guided by a simple goal: creating the best possible home for student clubs to design, build, collaborate, and lead.
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