Members of the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ recently visited Normal Robotics Lab, an innovative technology startup based in Kailua.
For UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ students engaged in energy and sustainability research, the visit provided a firsthand look at how local startups are addressing global challenges through innovation rooted in Â鶹´«Ã½. Normal Robotics Lab offers internship and job opportunities to students, with the goal of keeping talented graduates in the islands while contributing to renewable energy and sustainable design.
“Tours like this are so valuable because they connect students with innovative local companies and job opportunities, highlighting Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s potential to be self-sustaining,” said Miles Topping, director of sustainability at the UH Office of Sustainability.
Normal Robotics Lab develops energy-efficient, modular heat pump .
During the visit, students and faculty heard directly from co-founder Ashten Akemoto, who shared the lab¡¯s journey from passion project to growing startup. What began as a side project when its founders converted a 1968 Volkswagen bus into an electric vehicle sparked a larger mission: to create sustainable technology that blends hardware innovation with climate-conscious design.
“The tour was very interesting and informative,” said student Kiet Nguyen, “The thing that stood out to me the most about the heat pumps was how simple they were to have working but also how complex they could get.”