Underwater robot competition helps N.S. students to think of their future

HALIFAX – Teams of high school students from Nova Scotia got to show off their underwater robots at a unique competition on Friday.

Six teams put their remotely operated vehicles through a series of challenges at the Marine Aviation Survival Training facility as part of the Nova Scotia Community College event.

A team from Eastern Shore District High School had to help each other manoeuvre their vehicle to perform a series of underwater missions.

“I actually didn’t think about robotics until I did a project on robots in Grade 10, which got me into this,” says Alisa Quigley, the Grade 11 student who served as the team’s pilot. “It is something I would like to do.”

It’s the second year NSCC has put on the competition, and project co-ordinator Mike Duggan said its focus is to “get kids excited about working in the oceans from a scientific or technology standpoint.” He said the school has options in related fields that students can pursue after they graduate.

The students participating got to design and build their own robots.

“Last year we had a starter pack and they gave us a general design,” said Clayton Sawler, a Grade 12 student at Central Kings Rural High School. “This year we overhauled the design. I think it looks a lot cooler now.”

Sawler, the pilot, got his team’s robot to take a cap off a pipe representing a gas line, then place a new gasket on the pipe before recapping it.

The students had fun while also getting to think about their future.

“Most of the kids in this group are looking at a career in engineering, software engineering or any of that kind of engineering at university or college,” said Colin Melia, a mentor for the C.P. Allen team.

For the students, getting their robots to perform underwater tasks was just part of the competition.

The winner of the trophy for the second consecutive year was the team from Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth.