Sixteen teams advance to state SeaPerch competition

The Southwest Indiana STEM Resource Center (SwISTEM) at the University of Southern Indiana hosted its third annual underwater robotics competition on February 2 at the Mount Vernon Junior High School natatorium. Of the 64 teams of third- through twelfth-graders that participated in the Regional SeaPerch Challenge, eight high school teams and eight middle school teams earned the chance to compete in the state competition on Saturday, April 6, in Dubois County. The location is to be announced.

The SeaPerch program trains educators to assist students in building underwater remote operated vehicles (ROVs). Students follow a curriculum that teaches basic engineering and science concepts to construct the ROVs using kits provided by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division. NSWC-Crane partners with USI on programs to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

Teams from more than 60 Southern Indiana schools competed in stock and open divisions to maneuver their ROVs through several competitive drills.  Stock division teams were allowed to use only the contents of their kits, which are comprised of low-cost, easily accessible parts. Open division teams were allowed to modify their ROVs within a set of guidelines established by the national SeaPerch program.

The following teams have advanced to the state competition:

• Bloomfield High School - Navy Jr. ROTC
• Bloomington South High School - Joe Iveys
• Bloomington South High School - Red October
• Bloomington South High School - King Hong
• Bloomington South High School - MA₂D
• Bloomington South High School - Team Facepalm
• Cynthia Heights Elementary School - Aquamarines
• Farmersville Elementary School - Farmersville 5^th Grade Boys
• Francis Joseph Reitz High School
• Mount Vernon Junior High School - Anemones
• Mount Vernon Junior High School - Black Lagoons
• Mount Vernon Junior High School - Red Sparks
• North Posey High School - Technovikes
• North Posey Junior High School - Black Diamonds
• St. John's School - SeaPerch I
• West Elementary School - West Marines

Winners of the state competition will be able to participate in the national event in Indianapolis this May. Last year the team from Scott Elementary School in Evansville won first place in the middle school obstacle course event in Manassas, Virginia.

For more information about the regional SeaPerch program and for a full list of competition results, visit www.usi.edu/stem/seaperch/main.asp. For pictures of the event, visit SwISTEM's Facebook page.