Let me introduce you to Rodrigo, a member of the team for the past 1.5 years. He's studying Computer Science at Eindhoven University of Technology. Among his team, most have already graduated, so he's one of the few still pursuing his studies. The reason he decided to join Tech United's @Home team is because it offers a lot of flexibility. Which allows him to keep focus on his study. The atmosphere within the team is relaxed, and it feels more like working on a hobby. He got involved after having a chat with another team member, which convinced him to give it a shot.

Programming and software engineering have his main focus, and really capture his interest. Working in a small team is great, although it can get intense and high-pressure at times. But the most rewarding part is seeing everything come together through programming and witnessing the robots performing. Each team member has their own specific responsibilities. For Rodrigo, it's overseeing the robot and handling programming for specific challenges.

Right now, the @Home team is in a good position, holding second place in the home league competition. There are 11 teams competing in total, so Rodrigo’s team is doing quite well. However, there are still a few challenges to tackle. Tomorrow is a big day for them as they have a particularly tough challenge called "Restaurant" scheduled. Last year, other teams struggled with it, but @Home managed to score well and even took first place overall. This challenge requires their robot, HERO, to show its adaptability while navigating around people and different objects in the environment. Very excited about what will be the result!

Feeling inspired? Rodrigo's advice for students who are considering joining extracurricular activities like this is simple: "Just go for it!"