Gamers, STEM organizations, veterans gather in Henrico for ImmerseCon

[maxgallery id="80242"]Several high school robotics teams and student organizations showcased their machines during the first ImmerseCon event this past weekend at the Henrico Sports and Events Center, as part of two days of activities related to gaming, science, technology, engineering and math.

Apoorva Saurau, captain of Deep Run High School’s Team 1086 "Blue Cheese," explained that robotics competitions set a goal for the robot and then the team builds and programs the robot in two months. This year, the goal was to pick up a foam ring from the floor and hit a target with it.

Saurau said that connecting kids with STEM activities could bear long-term fruit.

“I didn’t really have any interest in engineering or robotics when I first went to an interest meeting in ninth grade,” said Saurau, now a senior. “I just thought our team captain at the time had cool shoes. Since then I’ve really fallen in love with the whole thing. I think I’m going to do engineering in college and as a career.”

Shorya Malani, the robotics programmer for the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School robotics team, also mentors other teams through The Mech Tech Dragons, a student-run umbrella organization providing resources and expertise for local robotics teams and competitions. He said that his happiest moments are bringing the excitement of the process to students who are new to it.

“We come out here to show the community about robots. People get really excited about robots,” he said. “You might have some students who don’t care about school, but they find love in robotics and that’ll get them more excited about learning about things. And as a mentor, that’s like the best feeling you can have.”

Jezmon Lewis, vice president of the Richmond chapter of Blacks in Technology said he hoped that being involved in ImmerseCon would raise awareness of the group, a foundation that works to create and connect a community of Black technologists of all ages, including through mentorships and free classes.

“The Richmond chapter just launched about a month and a half ago and a lot of people just don’t know about Blacks in Technology,” explained Lewis. “Hopefully in coming years we can kinda collaborate more.”

Event sponsor Tech For Troops, a service organization that provides technology and technology skills to veterans, used the event to highlight its work with veterans using video games.

“We have a suicide prevention program called Aim for Zero using gaming to help veterans connect and to not do what we call the unthinkable,” explained CEO Mark Casper, referencing 17 to 22 reported veteran suicides every day. “That married with ImmerseCon makes perfect sense.”

Other event sponsors included Richmond Regional Tourism, the U.S. military, the Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority, and several local businesses.

Independent video game developers also turned out for ImmerseCon’s Indie Games Showcase, including Richmond-based Battered Lute Studios.

Bryan Dilligard with No Static Games was promoting “Spittaz,” a 2D shoot-em-up focused on using rap lyrics instead of bullets.

“This is a passion project I’ve been working on for the past 6 to 7 years,” Dilligard explained. “I haven’t really shown the game off in this form. I was hoping to get good feedback, just show people, kinda get impressions of how the idea feels.”

Local independent publisher River City Siren Press attended to reach science fiction and fantasy fans, having learned of the event through its grassroots marketing.

“We saw the signs on the side of the road in Chester, where we live, and said ‘what is this?’” co-founder Amber Rodenbro said with a laugh. “We think there is a lot of crossover with writing and video games.”

Overall, event coordinators reported the event as a success.

“I’m very satisfied with how things turned out,” said Hannah Kim, ImmerseCon’s data and marketing analyst. She said that there are always mishaps with a first-time event, “but we got through them.”

In the future, ImmerseCon organizers, she said, hope “to impact not just Virginia but outside of Virginia. . . Hopefully just continuing this.”