Nataliia Bon

Our engineering students made a remarkable impact at the Eastern Edge – MATE ROV Competition World Championship, securing 3rd place in the highly competitive 'Explorer' category among a strong field of international teams. The event, hosted this year in Alpena, Michigan, brought together some of the brightest young engineering minds from around the world to showcase their underwater robotics solutions.

Competing in the "Explorer" class, the team demonstrated not only technical proficiency but also the value of collaboration, creativity, and persistence. With 30 students in total, 19 of whom traveled to the competition. The team began working on theRemotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) project in September, dedicating months of intense effort, collaboration, and innovation. The team invested over 4,500 hours of design, construction, and testing. Their dedication paid off with a podium finish that reflects both their engineering skills and team spirit.

The project involved designing and building a fully functional ROV capable of completing complex underwater missions, alongside creating technical documentation, marketing displays, and presenting to a panel of judges. Their vehicle design drew inspiration from a previous 2016 robot, the last time our team secured a top placement at the championship. Their guiding philosophy: simplicity in piloting and ease of repair.

The team completed their ROV months ahead of schedule, allowing crucial time for bug fixes and troubleshooting, ensuring a polished performance on competition day. They also benefited from the support of several alumni mentors, who offered invaluable guidance throughout the process.

“Next year, it’s going to be held at the Marine Institute. We’re going to win—that’s the plan,” said Brendan Booth, an EO student recently accepted to the mechatronics program.

“We want to give a huge thanks to our mentors and supporters, especially John Walsh! Your contribution made all the difference to our team,” Brendan mentioned.

Beyond team-building and competition success, students developed industry-relevant skills such as using CNC milling machines and designing waterproof enclosures. Brendan worked independently on a vertical profiler component, contributing additional functionality to the overall project.

With an eye toward continuous improvement and a proven track record of excellence, our engineering students are poised to reach even greater depths in the years ahead. The team is already looking ahead to the 2026 competition, which will be hosted here, at the Marine Institute, next June.