RoboSub 2024 Team Stories – University of California, Los Angeles & American Society of Mechanical Engineers
“The fun part about robotics for me is being able to hang out with people who have similar interest; and we get to work on something together!”
-Lucas Choe, University of California, Los Angeles & American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bruin Underwater Robotics
RoboSub 2024 Team Stories – University of California, Los Angeles & American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bruin Underwater Robotics
From Christine Newell
Communications Coordinator, RoboNation
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – The world of maritime technology and autonomous systems is one filled with dedication, exploration, and teamwork. At the forefront of this cutting-edge field are students like Lucas Choe, who represent the future workforce. Passionate about technology and eager to solve real-world challenges, these young engineers are diving into uncharted waters—literally and figuratively. Through their experiences, we get a glimpse into the future of robotics and the impact they hope to make.
During the 2024 RoboSub Competition, RoboNation had the pleasure of sitting down with Lucas Choe, a hardware electronics team member of Bruin Underwater Robotics and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at UCLA. The Bruin Underwater Robotics project is dedicated to creating robots capable of operating in and exploring underwater environments. We were so glad to have this time with Lucas and ask him about his journey so far.
Name: Lucas Choe
Team Name: University of California, Los Angeles & American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bruin Underwater Robotics | Los Angeles, California, USA
Q: How did you get into robotics?
A: “I joined during a club fair in the fall. I thought ‘this looks cool, maybe I’ll try it,’ and I stuck with [the club from there].”
Q: What do you like about robotics?
A: “I did a little bit of robotics in middle school, but I dropped off during high school because I had other commitments. It was definitely nice to pick it up again in college, because it meant that I had a place to apply different technical skills and learn new ways to do things. So, this year I joined the electronics team, which was different than [the work] I normally do. It was really interesting to learn about the different ways to design circuits and all that [that encompasses].”
Q: What was your favorite memory with the team?
A: “I think it would definitely be when our team lead, [Scott Cao], fell into the pool this year. I guess the fun part about robotics for me is being able to hang out with people who have a similar interest; and we get to work on something together! It’s something that we all put our time into, and work together on, that part is just cool for me.”
Q: What are your future goals for the team and for yourself personally?
A: “I think the team’s [main focus is] refining what we have right now. Our robot kind of works, but it can definitely use improvement. I think that’s going to be our main goal for a while.”
“Personally, [I’ll] probably keep learning [because] it’s fun, and I’ll see where it leads. I might [pursue] robotics in the future as a [career].”
Q: What advice would you give to students who are new to the RoboSub Challenge?
A: “Definitely don’t be afraid to try new things, because a lot of this is very casual. You’ll be able to learn a lot of stuff. You can [continue to improve] but you’ll never get there if you don’t try new stuff now.”
Team Website: https://www.asmebruins.com/bur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmebruins/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmebruins/
