2015-2016

News Release

REF NO.: 97

SUBJECT: Eastern Edge Robotics seeks fourth international ROV title

DATE: June 14, 2016

Eastern Edge Robotics, a group composed of Memorial University students enrolled in science, technology, and engineering programs, will compete for its 14th consecutive year in the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center’s 15th annual International Student ROV Competition.

Teams from around the globe will be at NASA in Houston, Texas, from June 23-25 to showcase their remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), underwater robots designed to accomplish specific tasks recreating real-life scenarios.

The theme for this year’s competition focuses on the use of robotic technology that is dual purpose—it will work in both the deep ocean and outer space. The competition primarily revolves around the use of ROVs in science and industry, where environmental factors make the work required of them difficult. With tasks ranging from retrieving equipment from the ocean floor to taking measurements on Jupiter’s moon Europa, the challenge posed to competing teams revolves around science and industry in the deep ocean and outer space environments.

Teams will participate in project demonstrations, piloting their ROVs at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab, offering students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In addition to being evaluated for their robot’s performances, teams must prepare a technical report, make a presentation to a panel of judges and create a marketing display. In doing so, teams replicate an “engineering firm” where students assume the roles of entrepreneurs.

“This project allows us as students to gain hands-on exposure to how projects are developed, managed, and marketed in industry,” said Anthony Randell, CEO, Eastern Edge Robotics. “By encouraging interdisciplinary development and challenging us to come up with innovative solutions to problems we gain skills that are directly applicable to the real world.”

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