Volunteer Spotlight: Justin Yim
We spotlight Justin Yim, a 4th year PhD student in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley, who works on a small robot named Salto. Justin coordinates science outreach in his department as a member of our BASIS Steering Committee. His contagious excitement for science shows in his life and teaching! Enjoy this spotlight on his science journey!
June 2019
Justin Yim has been intrigued by things that move on their own since he was little. Now in the 4th year of his PhD in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley, Justin works on a small robot named Salto that gets around by jumping on one leg. See a video about Salto and Justin’s research here. Justin likes to share his excitement about engineering and organizes the Electrical Engineering Department BASIS volunteers.
What was your pathway into your current job, and how does STEM education fit into your work?
I vividly remember the first robot I built. When I was in kindergarten, my dad rigged small solar panels so they could connect to Lego motors. I made a Lego car powered by the panels. I noticed that with the left panel attached to the right wheel and the right panel attached to the left wheel, it would follow a flashlight! Making small objects that react and move is like building little creatures and continues to fill me with wonder and joy. Through elementary school and high school, I participated in robotics competitions like FIRST Lego League and Vex Robotics. My college summer experiences as a research assistant in robotics labs spurred my interest in studying robotics for a PhD.
Who inspired (or inspires) you, and why?
I am very lucky to have parents who have shared an excitement for engineering with me my whole life. My dad is a continuing source of inspiration for me. The more I learn about robotics, the more excited I am to tell him what I have been learning about.
Tell us briefly about one memorable experience you’ve had teaching science in local classrooms:
I teach the Robots that Run BASIS lesson. In this lesson, students add antennae to vibrating toy bugs to help them get around and solve challenges. I love the exploration and experimentation involved in adjusting the antennae to direct the robots. The moments of discovery remind me of my experience with my Kindergarten solar car. Teaching this module with my friends in the BASIS program, I learned something new too – my solar car works like robots called Braitenberg Vehicles that use simple circuits to create interesting behavior. I had not realized where my dad got the idea!
What is a goal for your future?
Now that I am a PhD student studying robotics, I am excited to develop robots with new capabilities. In my work on the jumping robot Salto, it has been fun exploring and expanding what Salto can do, like jumping on furniture and maybe someday jumping on tree branches. Through BASIS volunteering and the online videos my lab creates, I enjoy sharing engineering excitement with today’s elementary school students. I hope that they can experience the wonder I felt with my Lego solar car.