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Troop - ROV, 2009


MATE ROV Competition Dates

May 9, 2009 - Pacific NW Regionals in Federal Way

June 24-26, 2009, MATE International ROV Competition, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Regional Results
Florida Regional April 18
    Cornerstone Academy
Gray's Reef Southeast Regional April 25
    Carrollton High School
Great Lakes Regional April 25
    Utica High School
    Immanuel Lutheran School
Hong Kong Underwater Robot Challenge April 12-13
    Kwok Tak Seng Catholic Secondary School
    Shau Kei Wan Government Secondary School
Mid-Atlantic Regional May 2
    First Flight High School
New England Regional April 25
    High Tech High School
    Cambridge Ridge and Latin School
Newfoundland/Labrador Regional May 1
    Heritage Collegiate
    Gonzaga High School
NSCC MATE ROV Regional March 26
    Dalbrae Academy
Pacific Northwest Regional Challenge May 9
    APIA Submersible Team from South Whidbey High School
Scotland ROV Challenge April 2
    Dyce Academy
Shedd Aquarium Midwest Regional May 2
    St. Joe's Boys and Girls Club
Southern California ROV Fly-Off May 2
    California Academy of Math and Science (CAMS)
Texas Regional April 25
    Waltrip High School
Big Island Regional May 9
    
Monterey Bay Regional May 16
    
Hawaii Underwater Robot Challenge May 23
    

MATE ROV Contest Links
MATE’s ROV competitions main page

2009 MATE International ROV Competition

MATE Pacific Northwest Regional Challenge

Design Specs & Mission

Engineering Communication (Tech Report & Display Reqs)


ROV_2009_Rule_Interpretations.pdf


Our ROV Resource Links



May 9

ROV Competition Day:
Got up early and went through the gripper, thought it was fixed.

We thought our Engineering Evaluation went very well.
Pool run #1:

  • Completed task #1, found 4 damage points.
  • Completed task #4
  • Gripper jammed during task #3, but we opened the tower door and got the airline down (it tangled though).
  • Task #2, turned hatch 180 degrees, skid got in the way with hatch partially opened.

    Pool run #2:
  • Completed task #1, found 4 damage points.
  • Completed task #4
  • Partially opened door for task #3.
  • Focus on task #2, turned hatch 180 degrees, skid got in the way with hatch partially opened. Removed all 5 ELSS pods.

    Got a lot of positive comments about our ROV. The divers thought it was the fastest and most maneuverable ROV.

    In the end, we finished 4th, by less than 1 point, out of 8 teams. Disappointing because we could have done better, but not bad for a first year team. With a working gripper, we would have had a chance to win.



    • May 8

    Put labels on the controls, and warnings on the thrusters.
    Last minute preparation of the presentation.
    Gripper is still problematic.


    May 7

    Another quick trip to Lake Washington with another floatation tube change.
    All the lights, camera and video capture works!
    After the past few setbacks, success again! More work on the presentation stuff.


    May 6

    New, auxiliary floatation tubes built. Get together to work on the presentation materials.

    		 

    May 5

    Troop meeting. Work on the poster and presentation.

    		 

    May 4

    A rushed trip to Lake Washington.
    Lights work.
    New floatation tubes are too big. Will redo the math, re-install the old tubes and add auxilliary tubes.
    Seaplanes, mountains and eagles, if only the water was clearer and the ROV worked as we wanted.


    May 3

    Rebuilt the gripper and replaced the air cylinder with an electric motor.
    Encapsulated some lights (for Lake Washington).
    Built new, bigger buoyancy tubes.
    Rebuilt (and sealed) the main camera power cable.
    Went through the next edits on the poster.


    May 2

    Another day at Shoreline Pool, but not a good day.
    With the gripper and additional camera, Robert has gained 2.5 pounds, and is no longer buoyant.
    Gripper is mounted too low, and 40 psi is not enough pressure for the gripper.
    Main camera power is flaky.


    May 1

    Lights, camera, wiring, and the finished control case.


    April 30

    New camera mounts and the last changes to the tether wiring


    April 29

    Showing the troop the latest progress.


    April 28

    Making the gripper mount.
    Updating the skirt to finish wiring up the LED's.


    April 27

    Final wiring for the control box, powder coated at high school on Monday


    April 23

    The control box cover, plasma cut at high school today.
    Encapsulating another camera.


    April 18-19

    Outing to Dungeness Spit, no ROV, but lots of water. 5 mile hike in the sand to the lighthouse, another 5 back.


    April 13

    Assembling a gear box kit for one of the cameras and soldering a PWM unit


    April 11

    Our first test in a real pool!!!
    This is when we actually tested our cameras for the missions.
    We spent another 40 minutes in water.


    April 5

    Some camera setup, and a third sea trial in Lake Washington. ROV got another 40 minutes of work.


    April 4

    Second water test in Lake Washington.
    ROV was in the driven for over 40 minutes, with all team members taking a turn.


    April 4

    Putting the basic tether together


    April 4

    More camera work and testing the main camera housing for leaks (before putting the camera in it)


    April 2

    Building the main camera housing and testing the speed control


    March 31

    Showing off Robert the ROV at our troop meeting


    March 28-29

    Baker Lake and Bayview. No ROV, but snow and ice.


    March 24

    Building the vertical thruster prop shrouds


    March 22

    Final attachment of the prop shrouds and buouancy tubes.


    March 18

    Fitting the prop shrouds.


    March 15

    Painting.


    March 14

    Frame disassembly for glue and priming for paint.


    March 14

    More work on the new controls case


    March 8-11

    Second attempt at a waterproof camera.


    March 8

    Starting on a controls case.


    March 8

    First swim in Lake Washington!
    Too much buoyancy to dive, but a successful first sea trial.
    Snow, hail and wind made the trip very cold.


    March 6

    Soldering and heat shrinking connectors for the tether


    March 3

    At the scout meeting tonight, the ROV was named 'Robert', and it was decided that the ROV should be green.

    		 

    March 1

    Continued thruster testing


    February 28

    Thruster testing again


    February 28

    Final lathing of the prop adapters.


    February 28

    Laying out and making the prop adapters.


    February 19

    More thruster testing


    February 16-17

    The first attempt at waterproofing a camera, the encapsulation did not go as planned.


    February 16

    First tests in the thruster test cell.


    February 15

    Construction starts, for the frame and thruster test cell


    January 31

    ROV Workshop at UW

    		 

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