Final Week in Hawaii

I cannot believe how fast this summer passed by. 10 weeks at NASA went by in a blink of an eye. Although there were obstacles along the way, as well as triumphs, I learned so much during this summer. I met so many intelligent, genuine people who had a deep passion for robotics. One person I will always remember was my good island bro, Roberto from Puerto Rico. I was able to tell him things I would normally not be able to tell others. Whenever I felt down because of our project, or just about life, he would be there to listen and offer advice and encouragement. I feel I am ready to take on a whole new experience in the upcoming years, and I am confident that as long as I set my mind to something, I can accomplish anything.

I got back to Hawaii on Saturday, and now, I am getting ready to leave tomorrow, where I will participate in the DEECS preorientation program. Things seem to be the same here in Hawaii. In addition to the beautiful weather, the people are always showing the Aloha spirit. I am glad to know that Hawaii will always be my home, but I feel I'm ready to venture off to the East Coast to explore many new opportunities and bring them back to the islands to share with others.

I got the chance to visit my physics teacher, who was one of the major influences in my life. I know for sure I would not be where I am had she not be an advocate of starting robotics programs at my high school, or seeking out talented students who just needed a different route in high school. I am thankful I got to visit her before I left, because I was able to share some thoughts and advice with her class, from preparing for college, to facing challenges along the way in high school. It feels great to be able to speak with these students, because just a year ago I was in their shoes, worrying about where I'd be in the next year, whether or not I would go to college or not. The most important thing I conveyed to these students was that no matter what circumstances they were in, no matter what their backgrounds are, they have every right and opportunity to attend college and better themselves.

I never realized how much i missed my parents, or how much they missed me. I got to bond with them during this week, and I feel i made them proud, but there is still a whole lot to accomplish. We got to hang out at the Honolulu Family Festival, where we rode some crazy rides. And before we left, my dad parked on the side, and we got to walk along the beach, right under a full moon, where the reflection of the moon on the ocean glistened upon my eyes. That feeling was so magical ( i sound feminine, but that's okay). There was so much of Hawaii i still haven't explored, but I know sometime in the future, I will get the chance.

So now as I do my final packing, I am excited on what the future has in store for this local Hawaiian boy. But whatever happens, I know I will have many people out there rooting for me, supporting me along the way. One thing is for sure-I am blessed to be able to learn at such a prestigious institution like MIT. I will be sure I take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way.

NASA @ Boston and MIT

I promised I would find some time to talk about our trip to MIT, so here it goes!
What better place to visit to learn about the latest cutting edge research then MIT. We took the T down to MIT, and got the chance to pass by some great views of the Charles River. As we were walking down the sidewalk, we came upon a familiar building that I dubbed as "the Dr. Seus" building back during Campus Preview Weekend.



Once we entered the building, we were greeted by Jack Constanza, director of the CSAIL lab. He gave us a brief introduction to some of the research areas that CSAIL focused on, ranging from knowledge based systems to artificial intelligence. I got the chance to introduce myself to him, and when he found out that I was going to be an upcoming freshmen this fall, he began to introduce me to some of the professors and grad students, letting them know I was interested in doing research on robotics. I was amazed and grateful how welcoming he was towards me, and I could feel that sense of community within MIT, knowing that everything was going to be okay as I enter college. I was excited just looking around the whole CSAIL lab, trying to imagine myself working and tinkering with the latest robotic project, and trying to come up with solutions that would solve some of society's critical problems.

We also got to see the car that was used in the DARPA grand challenge. This was a treat for me, because I have been watching this competition for the past two years, and to be able to witness one of the cars was just amazing. We got to see the lasers that were used, and the whole computer system under the hood. Although we did not get to see the car drive in action, it was still satisfying to be able to stand next to what may be the future of ground transportation.

A Trip to Johnson Space Center

After a good night's rest, we checked out of our hotel and headed off to the Johnson Space Center. I was really looking forward to visiting another NASA center, in addition to the one I already worked at (Goddard Space Flight Center). We started the day off by listening to some of the research scientists telling us about the different space exploration robots that NASA was currently working on. One of them was the spider-shaped robot, with its gold coating and looks like it could tear a person into a gazillion pieces.



But the robot I was the most impressed with was the Robonaut. Designed to act like a human, it functions like an assistant for future astronauts. It has two hands that have fingers which are able to grasp different objects. Robonaut can assist astronauts with different tasks such as repairing machines, handling tools and passing them on to the astronaut, and assist with other difficult tasks that humans may sometimes not be able to accomplish. The head of robonaut looked as if it were a real human being inside-who would believe it's just a bunch of circuits and sensors and many microprocessors.



After grabbing a quick bite to eat at the NASA cafeteria, we checked out more robots (so many robots i've ever seen), took a group picture with one of the big gigantic ones, and then headed back to the vans, and went to the airport. Two days spent in Texas, but a whole lot of information on the future of robotics, and where it is headed. I can't wait to explore the many robotic opportunities at MIT!

Don’t Mess with Texas, Day 1

After getting up at 2:45 in the morning (actually I didn’t bother to sleep at all), we drove for about 30 minutes to Baltimore Airport. We arrived in Houston early in the morning, just about ready to pass out. I couldn’t believe how tired I was, and the some of the guys in the group decided to sleep on the side of walls.

We finally got our vans, and started our day out to IHOP to get some breakfast. It was the first time I’ve been to IHOP because I don’t think there is one in Hawaii. After enjoying Oregon Blue Berry Pancakes with Bacon, Eggs, and Sausage, we headed over to the Galleria shopping mall, which to my surprise had a skating rink inside. There many stores within this mall, most of them that could be found in Hawaii. One store in particular was named Pink, and I dared my friend to walk in by himself. In the end, I decided it was just better to try and take a picture of myself in front of the store, which pretty much only had women shopping around for their personal goods.

Then we came upon a store that sold things only in Texas. I found a cowboy hat and thought it would be cool to be the first Chinese Cowboy of the United States. My good island bro Roberto from Puerto Rico and I decided to look like Island Cowboys.

We left the Galleria and headed over to Schilling Robotics. They are the creators of Remotely Operated Vehicles, as well as the creators of different robotics manipulators used for underwater research. After hearing about the business and the industry, we got to go outside into the garage and actually play with one of the robotic arms, dubbed the “Titan 4”. I was the first up to try this cool machine, and as I was controlling the arm, it felt like as if my arm had just transformed into titanium muscles, being able to maneuver around the field with great strength and flexibility. We tried building a house with the blocks of wood that were lying around, but in the end, one of the interns lost control of the arm and knocked the whole building down.

The simulation room was also quite a sight to see-we actually had full control over what the robot could do, and it felt so real too, as if we were really under water trying to unhook some locks from a submarine.

After the two demonstrations, we got some free t-shirts, and then headed off to dinner. It was a Mexican restaurant, one where I decided I would order my meal based on quality, and not price. In the end, I had no regrets, although the meal came out to $30. I decided to take a picture of the food, for memories sake (and for the fact that it was the most expensive dish on the menu). Then we headed off to the hotel, where I went online to register for orientation at MIT (after confirming with my parents that they wouldn’t be able to come for Parent Orientation L) Tomorrow is a full day at the Johnson Space Center; until then, take care, and dream about robots!