By GLYNIS HART
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CLAREMONT — The Rogue Robots of 4-H are coming off a successful competition April 1 at University of New Hampshire and moving to the national competition at University of Maryland. The SeaPerch competitions challenge students to build, design, and successfully operate remotely-operated underwater vehicles (ROVs).
This year’s challenge is modeled after last year’s Thailand cave rescue. The ROVs must successfully move objects underwater and navigate an obstacle course. The teams divide up tasks to operate the ROV; one student drives, another makes sure the tether is untangled, another manages the obstacle course, and everyone is involved in design.
On Thursday night, the Rogue Robots were practicing at the pool in the CSB Community Center. Although their first robot did well at UNH, the team decided it was too big and slow, so they were testing a newer one. This more nimble model had Christmas tree lights inside it to make it easier to see underwater, and it was smaller. However, this evening the propeller that sends it up toward the surface or down toward the bottom was moving faster in one direction than the other.
The competition requires exact maneuverability. Thomas Shepherd, the driver on this team, pointed out the obstacles: The ROV must light a beacon (teams can decide if they want the light intermittent or steady), go through the first hoop, lift a hatch and go under it to pick up a ball, carry the ball down to another platform and place it in a cup, and bring back a disabled ROV to the place where the ball was.
“All of us have to participate in designing the ROV,” said Anne Numme. “We get it 3-D printed at our robotics warehouse; Wilson designed the robot.”
“Well, I designed the 3-D part,” Wilson Zhang demurred.
In addition, the teams must create a record. “For nationals, you choose to do an engineering video or a notebook,” said Anna Numme. “We chose the video. It’s just two minutes.”
Teams purchase a kit from SeaPerch and “you have to come up with $25 to modify it,” said Numme. “We don’t have a lot of money to spend, and it’s more applicable to the real world not to.”
Pam Numme, a parent leader of the group, said, “This (SeaPerch) is sponsored by the Navy. There are kits that you start with. Once you get used to it, you create your own ROVs.
“It’s a lot of design creativity,” said Pam. The kids are clustered around the model discussing the issue with the propeller. “That’s the way it works — something doesn’t work, or it breaks, and you go back to the drawing board and figure it out.”
The club tries to have two projects going, one for competition and one for exploration. The Water Wizards meet at the pool on Monday. The kids build such things as windmills and periscopes, even hard cardboard chairs (which they donated to All For One daycare). They solder, waterproof the motors, build the ROV, and the obstacle course to practice on.
The team’s showing at UNH is especially impressive since they’re competing against bigger, better funded schools. At UNH there were around 120 teams, from as far away as New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines. This year the playing field got more level, as middle school and high school competitions were separated.
“We’ve had a high school team make it to nationals twice,” said Pam Numme.
Robotics as a sport has recently exploded, with such tournaments as FIRST Lego League Robotics in the fall, the VEX Robotics Competition, and the FIRST Robotics Competition, which really was first, having begun in 1992. Supporters of robotics competitions note that the sport teaches cooperation as well as science, tech, engineering and math skills; some leagues require teams to partner with other teams to overcome challenges.
However, the robots are expensive to buy and build, and the competitions aren’t cheap.
“On many levels, we don’t have the funds,” said Numme. “It can cost $30,000 to go to a competition; about $5,000 for each robot. You really have to have mentors that know how to build.”
The team recently held a bake sale fundraiser at Runnings, to get breathable team t-shirts that wouldn’t be as hot and heavy as the ones they had. They have a GoFundMe page (search Rogue Robotics on Facebook) and terrific support from Red River, Hypertherm, and the CSBCC.
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