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MATE Center to Host Underwater Robotics Competition

The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center will host the latest round of its underwater student robotics competition later this month.

Using scenarios from workplaces, the MATE competition asks students to design and build remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to meet challenges. Competitors also build mock companies to manufacture and market their ROVs, create technical reports and posters and deliver presentations to judges from the marine technology industry.

Teams participating in this month's competition were selected following qualification in regional competitions in the United States and around the world or after demonstrating their vehicles.

Currently in its 16th year, the newest iteration of the competition is focused on how ROVs are used to keep seaports healthy and safe and asks students to think about how the vehicles might shape seaports in the future.

"Like port managers, the students will operate their ROVs to handle tasks that include finding cargo containers that fell overboard, constructing an underwater tunnel and cleaning up contaminated sediment," according to a news release. "Instead of piloting their ROVs in sometimes confined and precarious actual port conditions, students will safely work in the Long Beach City College Viking Aquatics pool."

For information about last year's competition and winners, visit marinetech.org.

Headquartered at the Monterey Peninsula College, MATE aims to improve marine technical education through the development of courses in collaboration with educational institutions, professional societies, industry, research institutions and working professionals.

Visit MATE's website for more information about the organization and competition.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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