Senior Ayden Makala has demonstrated extraordinary ingenuity by successfully designing and building his own functional robot from scratch.

Makala's passion for robotics and technology has propelled him to new heights, showcasing his exceptional skills and dedication to STEAM education.

The robot – which is called “J5” as a homage to the 1980s movie Short Circuit – is animatronic, much like the characters you would see on a ride at Disney World.

So, what can the robot do?

“I refer to it as a performance robot. I just have it on a stage, and I have nine different ‘shows’ programmed so far,” Makala said. “Like on Halloween night, people could walk up and watch a quick show and then be on their way.”

Makala has a goal to eventually build a camera with facial recognition that will allow the robot to interact with people even more.

“Instead of it just being a show, you could ask it questions, and it would be able to respond back,” he said. 

What started as a hobby has quickly turned into a passion, and Makala is hoping to pursue electrical engineering in college. He has applied to several schools, including RIT.

“I would love to start my own company,” he said. “Or maybe even work for Disney.”