Dorito Mark 1
PLUNGE (Patriots Leading Underwater Navigation and General Engineering)
This is the first year that George Mason University will be participating in the RoboSub competition. Next year, we are planning on flying out to Irvine, California to participate in the 2026 Challenge. Our focus lies in the development and design of intelligent maritime vehicles that possess the capability to navigate seamlessly on the water’s surface. We are a multidisciplinary group of students and faculty from the College of Engineering and Computing, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Costello School of Business, and College of Science.
Our Team Members
Robert Vasquez
President
Robert is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Electrical Engineering pursuing a concentration in Control and Robotics. He is the lead of the team and oversees all operations from each team and checks in with the teams to make sure all is going well. Another thing Robert spent a lot of time doing this year was raising funds for the team with the finance officer Francesca to make sure that the team had sufficient funds to create their AUV
Maverick Haupt
Vice President, Software Team Lead
“Hi, I am Maverick Haupt the current Vice President and Software lead for ROBOSUB 2025. I am a sophomore studying computer science here at George Mason University. I am responsible for the design, execution, and research of all things software and software adjacent. This also means I am the bridge between the hardware teams and the rest of the software team, ensuring everyone is on the same page for the current state of the AUV. In my free time I like doing more computer stuff, messing around with Linux, and recreationally programming, skating, cooking, and spending time with my girlfriend.”
Owen Sowalla
Electrical Team Lead
“My name is Owen Sowalla, and I am the Electrical Officer for ROBOSUB 2025 and a senior at GMU. I oversee the design and construction of the AUV’s power flow, including system diagrams, waterproofing, and hardware research. In my spare time I enjoy lifting, gardening and collaborating on other STEM projects.”
Rainer Schmitz
Fabrication Team Lead
Rainer is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He leads the Fabrication team and was the original designer for our AUV, Dorito, this year. Rainer works closely with Owen and Maverick to ensure that all is going smoothly between teams and nobody is left out of the loop. His interests include Robotics, Hiking, Camping, and the outside in general.
Francesca Russell
Finance and Marketing
Francesca is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Business and has an interest for Robotics and Engineering in general. She works closely with the president, Robert, too ensure that we reach out to the best for helpful, sponsorship, etc. She also worked closely with alumni this year to ensure that she could get the best help in getting funds for the team. Her interests include hanging out with friends, watching TV, and trying new things.
Fabrication Team Members
Rainer Schmitz
Charles Rosales
William Mochel
Electrical Team Members
Owen Sowalla
Tobey Bashum
Konraad Ludwig
Software Team Members
Maverick Haupt
Jason Agbeve
Naomi Ahrens
Mathew Vickers
RoboNation at GMU 