PISCES Roves into Perth for Robopalooza

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Pacific International Space Center for Explorations Systems (PISCES) team will soon be returning from Perth, Australia, where they represented UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi on a global stage at Robopalooza 2025. The second annual event, held October 5 and 6 at the new Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct as part of the IEEE Telepresence Conference, brought together robotics enthusiasts, students, and researchers from around the world for a celebration of “robots, rock, and roll.”

Pictured top to bottom, left to right: Christian Andersen, PISCES Director of Research; Amber Imai-Hong, PISCES Project Manager and Engineer; Ashley Truchan, PISCES Administrative Officer

This year’s competition challenged 13 teams from eight countries across six continents to remotely navigate a planetary rover around a lunar-like obstacle course — simulating how astronauts operate robots on the moon or Mars. This year’s winner, the Edith Cowan University (ECU) team, successfully maneuvered through several waypoints quickly and accurately without knocking over any cones. They accomplished this using only the rover’s onboard cameras and control systems.

The UH PISCES team served as the race’s official pit crew, and even brought their very own rover — Helelani, a lunar and Martian rover simulator built and tested on the slopes of Maunaloa and Maunakea, where experts say the terrain is similar to what they will encounter in future planetary research missions. Helelani successfully competed in the inaugural Robopalooza held in 2024 in California’s Mojave Desert. Unfortunately, the 750-pound rover was unable to compete this year after sustaining damage during customs inspections while in transit to Perth.

“We learned a hard lesson about traveling with electronics across country borders,” said Amber Imai-Hong, PISCES Project Manager and engineer. “We’ll be working on repairs when we return to Hilo to ensure that Helelani’s systems are even more robust for the future.”

UH Hilo’s PISCES Helelani rover

Despite the setback, the UH Hilo team was still all-in. Christian Andersen, PISCES Director of Research, reprised his role as the communication link between competing teams and mission control, while also serving as the race’s official timekeeper.

Robopalooza spans two full days. Industry Day features the competition itself, while STEM Day opens the event to families and gives the community hands-on experience with the technology. During STEM Day, Imai-Hong and Ashley Truchan hosted an Ulana Pepa Hōkū (weaving paper stars) activity that drew over 600 registered participants.

“Many of the keiki and parents were very excited to learn more about Hawaiʻi’s culture, and the kids especially enjoyed being able to be creative in a space where most of the cool things were ʻlook but don't touch,’” said Imai-Hong. The craft project was inspired by their STARS Program at UH Hilo, which encourages young women across Hawaiʻi to explore STEM fields. Imai-Hong and Truchan noted that the cultural and educational outreach closely mirrored STEM learning by providing the keiki with something to problem-solve and take pride in upon completion.

The PISCES team also shared the aloha spirit by gifting handmade lei and teaching attendees about Hawaiian culture and its deep connections to exploration and sustainability. “Everyone we have encountered has been very excited to learn about Hawaiian culture and how it relates to In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and aerospace research broadly,” said Truchan, emphasizing how incredible the exchange of culture and science has been.

Despite not being able to race Helelani, the PISCES team found their time in Perth deeply fulfilling. "Seeing people get excited over being able to interact with the Helelani rover was very rewarding, after being met with the disappointment of not getting her running for the competition."

Andersen, Truchan, and Imai-Hong at IPRAAC

Christian Andersen says Robopalooza provides an invaluable opportunity to promote and share the research work being done at UH Hilo. “It was exciting to share how PISCES’ work on ISRU technologies is guided by, and aligned with, the traditions and values of our shared Hawaiian heritage,” said Andersen, who presented at the Indo Pacific Robotics Autonomy AI and Cyber Conference and Exhibition (IPRAAC) about ISRU and how it relates to Hawaiʻi. Imagi-Hong was also there to share her thoughts as a panelist during a discussion titled, “From Orbit to Industry — Unlocking Downstream Value Through Satellite Data”.

As they prepare to return home, Imai-Hong said the PISCES crew is grateful for the experience but ready to get back to Hawaiʻi. “The people have been great, the landscape has been beautiful, and the food is delicious,” she described. “But there’s no place like home.”