Ocean, Space-themed Missions for MATE ROV Competition
Local students participating in Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition are preparing for journeys to the depths of the Earth’s oceans and the farthest reaches of Europa, one of the moons of the planet Jupiter. On May 21, teams of local elementary, middle school, high school, and after-school clubs will compete in an underwater robotics competition that focuses on the use of technologies used for ocean and space science and exploration.
Hosted annually by Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition encourages students from Alpena, Flint, Stockbridge, and other Michigan towns to learn and apply science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills as they develop underwater robots – also known as remotely operated vehicles or ROVs – to complete realistic missions that simulate real-world problems.
“For twelve years this competition has been an important part of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s education efforts to inspire the next generation of underwater explorers, scientists, and engineers,” says sanctuary education coordinator Sarah Waters.
This year’s competition highlights technologies that are developed for exploration and scientific use in both ocean and space environments. For example, in the ocean-themed missions, students will use their ROVs to turn a decommissioned oil rig into an artificial reef and collect oil samples and coral specimens. The space-based missions challenge students to pilot their ROVs under the ice sheet of Jupiter’s moon Europa to collect data and deploy instrumentation.
The Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition promotes the development of entrepreneurship and leadership skills by requiring students to organize themselves into a company structure with each student taking on a specific role. The focus on entrepreneurship means that in addition to STEM proficiency, students must also develop business skills such as project and budget management, brainstorming, product development, marketing, sales, teamwork, and many others. In addition to their ROV missions, students must also create technical documentation, make a technical sales presentation, and prepare a marketing display.
The following schools and after-school clubs are scheduled to participate in the event:
- Malow Jr. High School, Shelby Township
- Hamady High School, Flint
- St. Pius X Catholic School, Flint
- Oscoda Area Schools, Oscoda
- Marlette High School, Marlette
- Montmorency 4-H Club, Atlanta
- East Jordan Middle School, East Jordan
- Petoskey Middle School, Petoskey
- Grand Traverse Academy, Traverse City
- Manufacturing Technology Academy, Traverse City
- Traverse City Central Senior High School, Traverse City
- Ella White Elementary School, Alpena
- Immanuel Lutheran School, Alpena
- Alpena Public Schools, Alpena
- Au Gres-Sims School District, Au Gres-Sims
- Stockbridge High School, Stockbridge
- Heritage Junior High School, Stockbridge
The Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition is one of 26 regional contests held around the world and managed by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center. The contest’s top winners will be heading to Houston, Texas to compete against the winning teams of other regionals in MATE’s international ROV competition, which will be held June 23—25 at NASA Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
The public is invited to attend the competition and cheer for their local teams, there is no fee to attend. The Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition will be held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on May 21 at the Alpena High School and Alpena County Plaza Pool at 3303 S. 3rd Ave, in Alpena, Michigan.
The 4,300 square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary works to protect the Great Lakes and their rich history. Lake Huron’s cold, fresh water preserves nearly 200 historic shipwrecks in and around the sanctuary. Through research, education, and community involvement, the sanctuary and its partners ensure that future generations can enjoy Thunder Bay’s irreplaceable underwater treasures.
The sanctuary’s visitor center, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, is free and open year round, and throughout the Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition. The center is a popular destination for residents and visitors of all ages, allowing the public to experience and appreciate the estimated 200 shipwrecks in and around Thunder Bay in an area known as "Shipwreck Alley". Visitors can fish, kayak, snorkel, or dive the wrecks in the sanctuary.
February 2024
