Above: Two-time PISCES intern and Waiakea High School graduate Aaron Roth developed and programmed the stereoscopic imaging system aboard the agency’s Helelani planetary rover.
Aaron Roth, a Waiākea High School graduate, interned with PISCES over two consecutive summers in 2016 and 2017 and upgraded the agency’s planetary rover with an impressive 3D imaging system. Just one year later, the Computer Science undergraduate is interning with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to help develop systems for the agency’s next major robotics mission to the Red Planet: the Mars 2020 rover.
“I’m on my fifth week in and I’m having an absolute blast,” Aaron said. “Everything about this place is awesome: the work, the people, the atmosphere—all of it.”
Aaron is testing the software programs that process data received from rovers on Mars to ensure they are functioning properly. It’s an important role to fill as the data is used for navigation and planetary research.
“It’s pretty cool because I get to look at a lot of pictures from Mars and see the different ways they are processed to extract specific information.”
Following his internship at PISCES, Aaron was offered a position at Jim Bell’s laboratory at Arizona State University where he studies. He credited his internship with cultivating the skills to continue working with robotic systems at a more advanced level.
“So far, JPL has been such an awesome experience. I am so grateful. PISCES really put an awesome start to my career and I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.”
The staff at PISCES is excited to see Aaron continuing his journey and becoming successful. Congratulations!