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About Us
Slugbotics is a student organization at UC Santa Cruz focused on introducing students to hands-on robotics engineering.
What We Do
MATE Underwater Robotics
The Mate project enables students to work on Marine Robotics. This project participates in the MATE ROV International Competition.
SOMARS UAV Research
The SOMARS (System for the Oversight and Management of Autonomous Robotics Systems) deals with all aspects of aerospace and aviation research and robotics.
Combat Robotics
The Combat Robotics Team at UCSC creates a safe and engaging space for engineers to make some cool fighting bots. Our team holds a yearly PLAnt workshop, where new members work in groups to make 1lb plastic combat robots that compete against each other. Additionally, our team has 2 beetleweight combat robots that compete around California.
Railspeeder Rail Health Inspection
The Railspeeder project aims to evaluate the condition and safety of closed and abandoned rail lines so that reports can be generated and provided to transit agencies in hopes of reconditioning and reopening these lines.
Arm Team
We are building a 3D-printed robotic arm with computer vision and natural language control. It can recognize objects, follow commands like “pick up the blue water bottle,” and even stream on Twitch to respond to chat. Our goal is to collaborate with professors and students—especially in chemistry and biomedical fields—to explore real lab automation and new applications.
Combat Robotics
The Combat Robotics Team at UCSC creates a safe and engaging space for engineers to make some cool fighting bots. Our team holds a yearly PLAnt workshop, where new members work in groups to make 1lb plastic combat robots that compete against each other. Additionally, our team has 2 beetleweight combat robots that compete around California.
Humanoid Team
The Humanoid Robot sub team is dedicated to designing and building an in-house robot that moves like a real person!
MATE Underwater Robotics
The Mate project enables students to work on Marine Robotics. This project participates in the MATE ROV International Competition.
Railspeeder Rail Health Inspection
The Railspeeder project aims to evaluate the condition and safety of closed and abandoned rail lines so that reports can be generated and provided to transit agencies in hopes of reconditioning and reopening these lines.
SOMARS UAV Research
The SOMARS (System for the Oversight and Management of Autonomous Robotics Systems) deals with all aspects of aerospace and aviation research and robotics.
Why Join Us
- Gain practical engineering experience across mechanical, electrical, and software disciplines
- Build fully functional robots used in competitions and research
- Join an inclusive multi‑disciplinary community that welcomes diverse academic backgrounds
- Develop skills in robotics hardware fabrication, software systems, and technical documentation
- Engage in outreach to support and inspire STEM education in the broader community
Our Team
Slugbotics is fully run by cross-departmental undergraduate students with a common passion for engineering. We welcome members of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Get Involved
- Email: slugbotics@ucsc.edu
- Interested in sponsoring? Sponsorship helps support competition builds and outreach activities
- Membership is open to all UCSC students.