Collaborative Lab for Advancing Work in Space (CLAWS) is a multidisciplinary student organization at the University of Michigan dedicated to designing and building innovative technologies that support human space exploration. Each May, our team travels to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where our research contributes to real-world aerospace innovation. Throughout the year, we prepare students with industry-relevant experience, strengthening the workforce and advancing human spaceflight beyond the university. Our goal is to fundraise enough money to develop our 25-26 project, GEMINI, which includes building hardware rover components, AR, AI, and Web infrastructure, conducting K-12 community outreach events, and traveling to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to present our project to NASA astronauts and engineers. Your support helps make sure this opportunity remains financially accessible for our members.
About our Organization
CLAWS is a multi-disciplinary group of undergraduate and graduate students. The team has participated in the NASA SUITS Challenge since 2018, which tasks university groups with building an augmented reality (AR) helmet interface to support astronauts exploring the lunar surface. Members have the opportunity to learn industry skills in a collaborative environment to engage with the broader space community. At the end of each year, the team travels to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to test the application and present to NASA.
CLAWS hosts several team social events throughout the year, including boba trips, movie nights, barbecues, bonfires, and Friendsgiving. The team also organizes several professional events where members can hear from technology industry speakers and talk to company recruiters. The club has presented at several conferences, including the XR @ Michigan Summit, UX@UM Conference, and the U-M Space Symposium. The team also hosts several outreach events each year to teach K-12 students about science, technology, and space exploration.
