Addison Trail Robotics Team participates in Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) competition

On Feb. 20, the Addison Trail Robotics Team participated in a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition at J. Sterling Morton West High School (pictured above).

The group finished in 6th place (out of 10 schools), despite having only one opportunity to practice (in a pool). Team members are junior Edwin Castaneda, sophomore Alan Saldivar Ramirez, junior Chiara Lapitan, senior Sophia Barragan, sophomore Jayden Gomes and sophomore Fernando Mendez. They are coached by MSG William E. Jones, U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) instructor.

The primary purpose of the competition was to provide a hands-on, multidisciplinary platform for STEM education. During the event, tethered underwater robots served as “living laboratories,” where students applied abstract concepts from physics, engineering and environmental science to solve real-world problems.  

Educational programs such as SeaPerch and the MATE ROV Competition use these robots to achieve the following goals:

  1. Technical skill development: Building a ROV from scratch or a kit teaches students practical engineering skills such as:

    1. Electronics and circuitry: Students learn to solder, wire control boxes and understand voltage and current.

    2. Mechanical design: Students explore structural integrity, waterproofing and the mechanics of thrusters and robotic arms.  

    3. Physics in action: ROVs teach buoyancy, hydrodynamics, propulsion and Newton’s Laws of Motion.  

  2. Career exploration: The program aims to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers by exposing them to high-demand marine and technical careers such as:

    1. Ocean engineering and naval architecture: Designing vehicles that can withstand underwater pressure  

    2. Marine biology and environmental science: Using sensors to monitor water quality or survey aquatic habitats  

    3. Professional ROV piloting: Training for industries such as offshore energy, shipwreck exploration and underwater search and rescue