At the Outpost in Arc Raiders, the Research Station workbench lets you unlock weapon blueprints and furniture designs, as well as Weapon Amplification nodes for adjusting your guns. Build the Outpost first, then collect three materials to install the station’s first level.
Quick answer: Install the Research Station from the Workshop tab using 35 Planks, 5 Battered Paperbacks, and 3 Mini Pumps. You must have the Outpost unlocked first.
Unlock the Outpost first
The Research Station slot only appears once the Outpost exists. The Outpost is the surface base added in the Frozen Trail update, and it requires Raider Level 18 plus completion of the three-stage Sheltered Retreat Project. That project asks you to photograph a farmhouse near Ruined Homestead on The Blue Gate, hand in building materials, and deal combat damage to flying ARC enemies and a Bully.
Once the final stage is claimed, the main lobby view changes to your Outpost and a new slot opens in the Workshop tab. That slot is where the Research Station gets installed.
Research Station install materials
Installing the first level of the Research Station takes three items. Gather all of them before you open the Workshop slot, since the install happens in one action.
| Material | Amount | Fastest source |
|---|---|---|
 Planks | 35 | Buy from Celeste |
 Battered Paperback | 5 | Loot Pendola Pass / barter Cassio |
 Mini Pump | 3 | Loot Riven Tides |
The install also uses items in your Stash, so review your holdings before farming additional supplies.
Where to get each material
Planks (35)
Planks are a common basic material used in crafting, with a sell value of 100. The simplest way to stock up is through the trader Celeste, who sells each Plank for 3 Assorted Seeds. Open the Traders tab, select Celeste, and buy until you hit 35. You can also pick Planks up from Old World and Residential loot in raids if you would rather not spend seeds.
Battered Paperback (5)
The Battered Paperback is a common research item. In Speranza, Cassio of the Nomadic Envoys will trade you as many as two if you offer eligible surplus worth 70,000 item value. Find any remaining copies in the field. Researcher Lodgings on Pendola Pass is a dependable place to search, while Old Town on that map is another worthwhile stop, with houses that often contain them.
Mini Pump (3)
Mini Pumps are an industrial loot item. The most consistent place to find them is inside the Customs House complex on Riven Tides, a two-threat area full of Electrical and Industrial loot. Head to the Destinations map, pick Riven Tides, and work the Customs House drawers, shelves, and bins. The Cielo Sereno Observatory and Railyard on Pendola Pass also spawn them.
Build the Research Station and confirm it worked
Amplified Research stays locked until the station reaches Level 4, which also needs a matching number of Outpost rooms installed and Gunsmith Level 4. For now, Level 1 gives you blueprint and furniture research.
Workshop station install costs for reference
The Research Station shares the Workshop tab with the other crafting benches, each with its own install price. If you are planning your material runs across benches, these are the current figures.
| Station | Install cost |
|---|---|
 Research Station | 35 Planks, 5 Battered Paperback, 3 Mini Pump |
 Explosives Station | 50 Chemicals, 6 ARC Alloy |
 Gear Bench | 25 Plastic Parts, 30 Fabric |
 Gunsmith | 20 Metal Parts, 30 Rubber Parts |
 Medical Lab | 50 Fabric, 6 ARC Alloy |
 Refiner | 60 Metal Parts, 5 ARC Powercell |
 Utility Station | 50 Plastic Parts, 6 ARC Alloy |
With the station live, you can start turning looted research items into points and spend them on the blueprints you have been missing. The Research Station only grows more useful as you add Outpost rooms and push it toward the Weapon Amplification tier.
