Above: Joe Winkie is a fourth-year UH Hilo Computer Science major who is rewriting the control system software for the PISCES planetary rover.
We’re excited to announce that our summer robotics intern, Joe Winkie, has been awarded a Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium University Research Internship (URI) to continue his work on our planetary rover through the Fall 2025 semester. Joe has been rewriting our rover’s control system software from scratch to streamline its remote capabilities and integrate it with newer technology. The URI grant will fund the next phase of his work: implementing his new program with the rover’s hardware system.
“I was both relieved and excited to get accepted into the grant,” Joe said. “This is a project that I spent the summer designing, and I’ve gotten invested and interested in this rover’s control systems that I get to build. We had backup options to try and fund this project, but ultimately this was the route that made the most sense for what we were looking for.”
Joe, who is a fourth-year computer science major at UH Hilo, says the project will help him learn how to apply and integrate his programming knowledge into robotics hardware. He’s also eager to learn server protocols that he can use to enhance his own coding projects.
“I enjoy building things—software being my concentration—especially when I feel that they are going to a good cause,” Joe added.
The URI supports full-time undergrad students attending a University of Hawaiʻi school to pursue research or teaching projects related to NASA goals. Joe will work 10–15 hours per week through the fall semester under the mentorship of PISCES Research Director Christian Andersen.
Congratulations to Joe! We’re excited to have him continuing his excellent work on our Helelani rover.