My Potential to Contribute Brian Thomas Hockenmaier

My personal interests range from physics and math to the martial arts, but I would particularly like to address my interest in robotics and creative design. This interest alone has enhanced my creativity and problem solving skills, to the extent that others now seek me out as a capable problem solver. I also work well alone, and have come up with some of my best creations in this way.

My entire life, I have always been interested in building things, from creating towers by stacking creamer cups in restaurants to building vast Lego structures and vehicles. Legos have always especially interested me, as the toy's many parts and combinations allow for the creation of almost any building or vehicle. I first stumbled upon Lego Mindstorms - a system that allows for the creation and programming of robots entirely using Lego parts - in middle school. Ever since I received my first set for Christmas, I have been creating robots and machines that surpassed anything I have ever built before. In fact, I've progressed to the point where I seek out and purchase specific sensor and motor parts to enhance my collection and allow for more capable creations.

One problem I've faced in this process is that my first RCX, a programmable...