Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has received approval from city's Planning Commission to move forward with plans for a new robotics center.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports that the university is planning to build a 150,000-square-foot research building with a two-story enclosure for testing robots and drones.

Plans also call for a 1 1/2 -acre outdoor laboratory where researchers will be able to conduct various tests and experiments with robots.

The school already leases space at Hazelwood Green's Mill 19 building, but this will mark the first new facility the school will build at the site.

The facility is designed to provide ample space for robot and drone experiments. The fenced-in outdoor area will include two public viewing areas where people will be able to watch the robots and drones in action.

The university is planning to begin construction late this summer and open the center in May 2025.

University officials have not said how much the project is expected to cost.