Brian Linhares, Class of '12

Bachelor of Science, Engineering—Mechatronics
Astoria, New York

Scientific aptitude is fine, but ask Brian Linhares what makes a good inventor and the answer might surprise you.

"Imagination," the Astoria, Queens resident says. "Without it, you're just a paper pusher."

Of all the skills required of a successful inventor, Linhares says the best one is an open mind. Instructed by Professor Hossein Rahemi and others, Linhares has become one of the most creative, and decorated, students in Vaughn College's engineering program.

He owns a 3.57 grade-point average as of Fall 2010 and is scheduled to graduate in 2012. He's already participated in several international robotics competitions, earning second- and third-place finishes with his classmates, and has visions of starting his own robotics development company.

"LinTech," he calls it. "Linhares Innovative Technologies."

Professional robotics will have to wait a few years. In the meantime, Linhares is president of Vaughn's robotics club and is proud of its track record in global competitions. Together with students John Velasco, Jose Bonifaz and Sharifa Happy, he earned a second-place finish in the 2009 Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI) competition in Venezuela, designing a robot to enhance farm productivity. The following year, Linhares' Vaughn group finished third in Peru, designing an anti-riot robot to aid police in crowd control.

In November 2010, Linhares and three Vaughn classmates—Chandra Mauli Nautiyal, Marlon Medford and KinLok Poon—finished second and third in a national competition at California University of Pennsylvania, advancing to the world competition in April 2011 in Kissimmee, Fla.

The idea for the agricultural robot took root during a trip Linhares made to Brazil in 2007 and happened to watch farmers harvest sugar cane. The robot was made from aluminum beams, microprocessor boards, circuit breakers, copper wire and remote control. "He's very creative," Professor Rahemi says, "and serious regarding his education."

Scientific acuity is but a part of competitive robotics, according to Linhares. He was surprised to discover in his first global competition, in Venezuela, that presentation is as essential to winning as construction.

"You really have to sell your idea," Linhares explains. "You're part salesman and part scientist. The judges want to see how big a crowd you can attract."

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