Meet Julianne Rodriguez, a high school senior who is passionate about STEM and using her robotics skills to help others. She’s currently a student pilot, and loves programming robots.

During the height of the Covid-19 outbreak, many people in senior living facilities in her area were unable to see loved ones. To help connect people, Julianne designed, built, and programmed a telepresence robot using VEX Robotics parts. By controlling the robot remotely, she helps patients use FaceTime or Zoom conference applications to easily connect with their family members. What a great example that uses innovation and creativity to help solve a problem! Watch the video below to see Julianne’s invention come to life.