A group of Sampson Middle School students will travel more than 300 miles this summer to take part in an international robotics competition.
The students, who are part of SeaPerch, an innovative underwater robotics program that equips students with the resources they need to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), qualified to take part in the International SeaPerch Challenge at the University of Maryland in June.
According to Leslie Matthis, science teacher at Sampson Middle School, students competed in April against a dozen other teams from across the state. During regional competition, one robot placed first in the overall competition and others placed in individual team categories. Only one robot will be taken to the international competition.
Students competed in nine different categories.
Sampson Middle’s SeaPerch team includes Brandon Aleman Cartagena, Peyton Matthis, Jayden Phillips, Jase Westerbeek, Talen Skipper, Cristian Ortiz, Loralei Bellanger, Zoe Roberts and Evelyn Simonson.
Cartagena, Matthis and Phillips placed first in the National Challenge, Obstacle Course, Target Challenge and Mission Course Challenge. They also placed second in the Pipes Challenge. They qualified to compete in the international competition.
At the international competition, Matthis said the Sampson Middle students will compete against teams from all over the world.
While participating in the program, students built the ROV from a kit comprised of low-cost, easily accessible parts, following a curriculum that teaches basic engineering and science concepts with a marine engineering theme. Skills learned were buoyancy, displacement, propulsion, soldering, tool safety and usage, electrical circuits and switches, waterproofing and the basic physics of motion.
Matthis attended training last year at UNC-Wilmington with instructors on how to lead students through the process of designing and creating their own underwater robot. Prior to the competition, students utilized a 300 gallon tank to practice their underwater skills. With this being the second year of the SeaPerch program, students have spent enrichment time and stayed after school to work on their robots.
“The students have taken complete ownership of this project,” Matthis said. “Students are required to do the competition portion on their own, and in the process, they are learning how to communicate with adults and other people.”
When asked about the project and program, many of the students say it’s a great learning experience, but also a way to develop relationships.
