From June 22-24, 60 teams from 11 countries around the world gathered at Silver Creek High School for the 21st MATE ROV World Championship competition. Teams comprised of high school through college-aged students took on problems students in SVVSD have been tackling for years.
SVVSD students at the Innovation Center took on the challenge of reintroducing the Northern Redbelly Dash Fish in 2020 and recently others have monitored buoy lines for wear in Dillon Reservoir. These class studies served as inspiration for challenges at this year’s MATE ROV World Championship.
"We are thrilled that our MATE Rocky Mountain Regional partners at the St. Vrain Valley School District will be hosting the 2023 World Championship," said Jill Zande, president and executive director of the MATE ROV Competition.
SVVSD had a team of five students that included Nick Weimer. incoming senior, Grant Riddle, recently graduated, Ada Hart, sophomore, Vanicia Thomas, sophomore, and Sabastian Delgado. The team came together around a month ago to compete and qualify for the world competition.
Many of these students had competed inVEX Robotics competitions and had a basic understanding of the field of study, but the MATE ROV competition was different. In this competition, students had to solve real-world environmental problems.
The competition consisted of three parts. Competitors had to drag solar panels out to an oceanic wind farm. They also had to carry fish to the bottom of the pool and release them and inspect buoy lines for needed repairs.
In addition to navigating the aquatic robots through the challenges, teams had to create a poster, write a technical report and give a technical presentation to a group of judges.
The SVVSD team made it through most of the competition but was unable to put their robot in the water due to a safety issue. The team had several setbacks during the competition and worked diligently to solve the problem before the event.
It was the district’s first year to compete in the world competition and the team saw it as a learning opportunity. They all plan to continue learning more so they will be ready to compete in next year’s competition.
"Hosting the MATE ROV World Championship is a significant milestone for St. Vrain Valley Schools. It's an incredible opportunity for our students to engage with peers from around the world, showcasing their skills and creativity in the field of underwater robotics. We believe this event will not only inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers but also highlight the importance of STEM education in shaping a sustainable future for our oceans and planet," said Nate Wilcox, robotics program director at the Innovation Center.
