St. John’s University students from The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies have developed a robotic dog named Thunder Paws, which can perform tricks similar to a real canine. This student-programmed robot was showcased during the Red Storm Men’s Basketball team’s NCAA Tournament send-off rally, where it entertained the audience with various dog-like stunts.

The mechanical canine is based on a Unitree Go2 quadruped robot, programmed by students for different tasks. Thunder Paws has been designed as part of a hands-on learning initiative led by Max A. Hergenrother, Associate Dean at the Collins College of Professional Studies. The university provided the robot's body while students applied their skills in mechanical design, coding, and artificial intelligence to operate it.

Karenarose J. Rizzo, Lab Control Technology Coordinator at CCPS, expressed hopes that future programming will enable Thunder Paws to respond to verbal commands and perform additional tricks.

Giancarlo Crocetti, Assistant Professor at CCPS, emphasized the importance of staying current with technological advancements in AI and robotics through initiatives like Thunder Paws and other projects such as Pepper—the humanoid robot capable of recognizing faces and emotions.

Dr. Crocetti noted that the idea for Thunder Paws emerged from collaboration among faculty members including Joan E. DeBello and others who were inspired by students' enthusiasm for exploring cutting-edge robotics in an immersive way.

St. John’s University continues to offer various opportunities for students to enhance their technology skills through specialized labs like the Media Arts and Design lab and facilities such as the Technology Commons with 3D printers.